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[KaelGotDwarves]

See, conservatives are racist. So if they run an ad, you look at it sideways, and it sort of seems racist, its racist, thus further demonstrating how racist conservatives are.

It's not just about racism - but rather recognising that they're employing one of the lowest forms of propaganda.

Let's change the formula around a bit.

Middle-eastern terrorist telling his futuristic Middle-eastern class how not Americans patriotically supporting the troops helped them defeat America. And then the whole class laughs soullessly about it.

Black Professor telling his futuristic Black class how integration and legalising inter-racial marriage helped them defeat America. And then the whole class laughs soullessly about it.

Gay Professor telling his futuristic gay class how laws granting gays basic human rights helped them defeat America. And then the whole class laughs soullessly about it.

These things are un-American and you should sub-consciously fear change! OOGA BOOGA!

[Fenrir]

You are comparing terrorism, desegregation, and gay rights to the national debt.

I lack words.

[KaelGotDwarves]

So why bring the Chinese into it?

[Fenrir]

Because we owe so much money to the Chinese.

[KaelGotDwarves]

They are not our largest debtors.

Once again, why did they choose the Chinese?

[nenjin]

Because it is tangentally-related. The Chinese do own most of our national debt.

Ad crafters will tell you they were painting an accurate picture of the future where we work for pennies to the soul-crushing laughter of our Chinese overlords, while they eat scrumptious duck that may or may not in fact be our children.

I gave them credit for sticking the knife in where it would hurt and giving it a twist, that was a well-crafted ad. Its message was still offensive and misplaced though.

But you got to cut through the signal-to-noise ratio right? Even if it means turning anyone you need to into a mustache twirling villain, or instilling the more susceptible part of the tv audience with fear and loathing of a whole nation.

And Kael you missed the biggest example you could have.

Rich Mexican land owning professor tells his class how debt helped them defeat America, and how Americans sneak over Mexican borders to look for jobs. The class laughs soullessly, to the sound of Mariachi music.

[Starver]

If Palin becomes president, I move to Canada and start watching the downfall of the United States on the telly and internet every day.

Canada's no good.  Up till now it just had Palin on its western edge, but you going there will coincide with her being on its southern edge as well.

(Lessee..  Mexico, Cuba and various other bits of the now-Pirateless Caribbean are within striking distance...  But there's always Old Blighty, Downunder or Kiwiland (and a few others) if you're still looking for a particularly anglophonic destination... )


Alternately, if you could get Michael Palin into power...  Now, that would be something.

[KaelGotDwarves]

Because it is tangentally-related. The Chinese do own most of our national debt.

Wrong.

Nope. As a foreign nation, yes they own the highest percentage.

But the debt owed to ourselves over our own spending and social security is the highest by far.

But we need something to fear besides ourselves. so hey, let's use the Chinese, they own 7.5% of our debt.

[Vector]

I think they should have done it with old people, to represent the horror that will happen when they ask for the debt back.

[Fenrir]

According to that chart, they should have done it with a mirror.

Does the use of Chinese people, one of debtors, necessarily imply that we suppose all Chinese people to be evil? If we presume that the advertisement was truthful in that the video of the professor was real, I see little reason to suppose that it would imply anything about the Chinese other than the fact that we owe them plenty of money.

[KaelGotDwarves]

No, what it supposes is that we want a scapegoat for our problems because we Democrats and Republicans fucked up healthcare and our budget and if we don't support the Republicans the Chinese with their 7.5% control over our debt will own us in the future. We want to fear something other than our own failures as a nation. Did we mention they are evil commie Chinese and that the Democrats will deliver us straight into their clutches?

[Fenrir]

I have not seen this advertisment, but such a video as has been described does not imply that anyone is blaming the Chinese for anything. It does not imply that we want a scapegoat. Obviously, it is saying that, if one does not vote Republicans, the Chinese will own us, and it is certainly implying disparaging things about the Republicans, but, unless there was something in that video that implied that they were “evil commies”, you are adding meaning that is not there.

EDIT:
It is amusing how you consider it permissible to make generalizations about Republicans, but you are very eager to find and smite generalizations about the Chinese.

Only too late do I see how unfitting a comparison that was.

[nenjin]

If we presume that the advertisement was truthful in that the video of the professor was real, I see little reason to suppose that it would imply anything about the Chinese other than the fact that we owe them plenty of money.

If someone makes a commercial about dinosaur-riding Nazis coming out of Germany to retake the West, I'd see little reason to argue either if I was willing to believe it from the outset. Exactly when was it smart to take any advertisement as truthful, especially during election season?

I have not seen this advertisment

Educate yourself.

It is amusing how you consider it permissible to make generalizations about Republicans, but you are very eager to find and smite generalizations about the Chinese.

Yes, let's not talk about what we're familiar with and witness every day, but act as though our fantasies about the other side of the world might be true.

[Bauglir]

The commercial in question, I believe.

The lighting, cinematography, lines, and mannerisms of the actors all seem pretty clearly contrived to show off the Chinese as monolithic schemers plotting to take over the United States for no adequately explained reason (you, the viewer, are supposed to figure out that they're Just Plain Evil).

[KaelGotDwarves]

I have not seen this advertisment, but such a video as has been described does not imply that anyone is blaming the Chinese for anything. It does not imply that we want a scapegoat. Obviously, it is saying that, if one does not vote Republicans, the Chinese will own us, and it is certainly implying disparaging things about the Republicans, but, unless there was something in that video that implied that they were “evil commies”, you are adding meaning that is not there.

It is amusing how you consider it permissible to make generalizations about Republicans, but you are very eager to find and smite generalizations about the Chinese.

I didn't smite generalisations about the Chinese, I'm saying the video is used as a low form of propaganda to make people subconsciously fear the Chinese and Democrats. And the video implies to me, as having seen it online, as the fact that no one would take "personal responsibility" for the debt but would rather revert to the old tactics of pointing fingers.

Basically, no one is going to come out and say "wow, we really fucked ourselves and our children over" but they do come out and say "the Chinese will take over the country" instead.