Propaganda

"A military life attracts young people for many reasons - duty, comradeship, purpose, the opportunity to test life to the limits, to learn a trade, escape from home, adventure-even patriotism. But for the youngster lacking a stable caring home, it provides family, with all the security and meaning that goes with it. They crave the structure, approval, attention, and clear rules that their parents should have given them; and we can supply it."

—Col. Gael Barrington

Propaganda was a form of communication aimed at promoting an idea and influencing the feelings of a population.^[1] The planet Sera has a long history of war, and every war needs propaganda to help drive the people to support it. Both the Locust Horde and the Coalition of Ordered Governments used propaganda to their advantage. Queen Myrrah used her loudspeaker to spread her anti-Lambent agenda and promise her Drones the surface of Sera. The Humans, on the other hand, turned the war for Imulsion into a cause for freedom and country. There are also examples of anti-war propaganda, which was rampant in East Barricade Academy and Lacroix University.

Coalition of Ordered Governments Propaganda[]

History[]

Pre-E-Day[]

Recruiting[]

A COG recruitment hall

During the 79 year long conflict of the Pendulum Wars, many families had a long line of military tradition (for example, the Santiago and Carmine families). Joining the army was a norm in COG society and a taboo if one did not. Since Coalition society was based on a machine everyone had to do their part, which included fighting in what seemed like an endless war. For the issue of women some military recruiters try sexist attacks to get women to join the army.^[2]

Post-E-Day[]

Operation: Lifeboat[]

"The COG isn't a soul-crushing machine, dumbass. It's society. Mutual support, mutual dependence. Individuality might sound all noble and free, but it generally means crapping on your neighbors, and if you crap on your neighbors--don't expect them to help you. Rules hold humans together. And it's together or die."

— Dom Santiago explaining the draft to a former stranded.

Operation Lifeboat was the brain child of the COG Department of Conscription. It helped boost recruits for the everyday decreasing Army. By promising the Stranded three meals a day and roofs over their families’ heads, many took the bait, but trading "one menace for another" they found themselves driving unarmored Assault Derrick and completing front line work.^[3]

Types[]

Leaflets[]

COG leaflets promising the Stranded that the war is over

Airborne leaflet propaganda is a form of psychological warfare that militaries use in foreign conflict to alter the behavior of people in enemy-controlled territory. Airplanes have been instrumental in the deliverance of leaflets over enemy territories. In conjunction with air strikes, this method has been successful in influencing the enemy’s way of thinking. In particular, persuading them to surrender, abandon their positions, and to cease fighting. Humanitarian air missions, in cooperation with leaflet propaganda, are also successful in turning civilians against enemy leadership while preparing them for the arrival of enemy troops.^[4]

In the aftermath of the Lightmass Offensive at Timgad, the COG believed the war was over and dropped leaflets in dozens of Stranded controlled cities promising them a new era of peace and asking to join them into the rebuilding of civilization.^[3] The hope was that the Stranded would abandon their independent mindset, and remove all fears of a civil war in the human society.^[2]

Leaflets description[]

WAR OVER!
LOCUST WIPED OUT!
OUR SCIENCE SAVED US

A NEW ERA OF PEACE
WAR OVER

STRANDED! COME HOME!
WAR OVER!
LET'S REBUILD TOGETHER.

VICTORY!

LOCUST WIPED OUT!
A NEW ERA OF PEACE

Anti-war Propaganda[]

Nobloodforimulsion — Typical Anti War post at Lacroix University

During the 79-year-long Pendulum Wars, much resentment towards the war for Imulsion grew among the liberal youth. The COG and their supporters viewed this anti-war movement as traitorous.

Locust Propaganda[]

The Locust Horde's Queen Myrrah used the promise of the surface of Sera in turn for the loyalty of the Drones to both fight the Humans and Lambent. While losing the war against the Lambent (Siege of Nexus) and the war against the humans turning into a stalemate. The Queen used the Loudspeaker to rally her troops in defense of the city from both under and above.

Loudspeaker[]

"We cannot allow the Lambent to pollute the surface. We must bury their infection here."

—The Locust Queen on the Loudspeaker rallying her troops.

The Loudspeaker was the main moral point of the drones and with that the drones natural loyalty made them a force to be reckoned with. She reminded them that their species needed to win both wars or face extinction. The Loudspeaker is hooked up in every area of Nexus and the main control room near the Palace. During the Siege of Nexus the loudspeaker was hijacked by Cole and reminded the Locust of their true fate in a very poetic way, to say the least. It was destroyed by Damon Baird to "muzzle" the Locust Queen.^[5]