Sir: Human beings are inherently incapable of making right, rational, objective choices. History tells that not only individuals but also whole nations can be duped into delusion of making wrong choices. It is ‘faith’ that is warped to hypnotise an individual or a nation into a violent action, be it suicide bombing or an unnecessary war. All religions have politicalised versions of holy wars, even Buddhism in Myanmar. Look at the 750,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to save their lives… Most suicide bombers are young, below 18 years of age. They are nobodies who are convinced to be somebodies in heavens, enjoying fruits of their supreme sacrifice. Noam Chomsky, in his book Media Control: Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda (page 12) reminds how Woodrow Wilson turned pacifistic American population into WWI. Wilson administration established a government `faith propagation’ (actually propaganda) committee, called the Creel Committee. It succeeded, within 26 weeks in converting `a pacifist population into a hysterical, war mongering population which wanted to destroy everything German, tear the Germans limb from limb…After the war the same techniques were used to whip up a hysterical Red Square… ’(McCarthyism). Chomsky observes that in a properly functioning democracy majority of the people were like a `bewildered herd’. Only a specialized class of citizens could analyze, execute, make decisions, and run things in all spheres of life’. Noam Chomsky’s argument that masses are a powerless herd’ is supported by Robert Michels’s Iron Law of Oligarchy (Political Parties, 1911). The Law highlights the painful truth that it is the elites that hold sway in all big organisations, including so-called `democracies’ (trade unions, corporations). The tyranny by elites is a `tactical and technical. All complex organizations, regardless of how democratic they initially are, eventually develop into oligarchies. A `direct democracy’ is a myth as power within an organization always get concentrated into hands of a few individuals within that group, elected or otherwise. Michels points out “Who says organization, says oligarchy.” He infers, ‘Historical evolution mocks all the prophylactic measures that have been adopted for the prevention of oligarchy. All organizations are run by a `leadership class’, often paid administrators, executives, spokespersons or political strategists. But, they pose as `servants of the masses’. Umer Farooq (‘General Perception’, Herald, and December 2012) laments military influence on media. He is rueful that Pakistan’s military, through propaganda, has assumed intellectual control of our society. This control is reflected from domination of historical, social and political control of discourses in print (textbooks) and on channels. ISPR and media Cells of agencies have overshadowed the ministry of information. He forgets that, until India and Pakistan bury the hatchet, it is natural for army to be concerned about its image. Without propaganda, it is hard for a fragmented nation to back up its armed forces at the front. The nations that fought the two World Wars invested a lot in image-making. In Pakistan, it goes to army’s credit that they comfortably toppled governments. No mass uprisings. The people watched, as silent spectators, overthrow of so-called elected civil governments. To conclude, ‘faith’ could be warped to produce suicide bombers or war mongers. Masses are not impervious to the brutal power of propaganda. Fear the day when evangelists begin to hold power in Pakistan as they did in USA and India. SAMAN MALIK Rawalpindi Published in Daily Times, December 6th 2018.