Bernays didn't just create propaganda - he made it respectable by calling it "public relations." He convinced women to smoke cigarettes by branding them "torches of freedom" and linking smoking to women's liberation. He made bacon and eggs the "American breakfast" by paying doctors to recommend hearty meals. His techniques became the foundation of modern advertising, political campaigns, and corporate communications. Every time you see a "study shows" headline or a celebrity endorsement, you're seeing Bernays' legacy.

Goebbels understood that people believe a big lie more readily than small ones. His propaganda machine used constant repetition, emotional appeals, and scapegoating to transform ordinary Germans into willing participants in genocide. He controlled all media, created elaborate spectacles, and made Nazi ideology seem normal and patriotic. His techniques: control the narrative, repeat constantly, appeal to emotion over reason, create external enemies, and make dissent seem unpatriotic. Sound familiar?

American advertising agencies perfected the art of creating desire for things you didn't know you wanted. They sold cigarettes as symbols of sophistication, cars as expressions of identity, and consumer goods as paths to happiness. They didn't just sell products - they sold lifestyles, aspirations, and social status. The techniques pioneered on Madison Avenue now influence everything from political campaigns to social media algorithms. They taught us to confuse consumption with fulfillment.