Apparently (and I looked for a source, but got sidetracked....that's what makes blogs more fun than papers) this myth began during World War II. Before that, getting children to eat carrots must have required more inventive tactics. However, during WWII, the Brits developed some wicked cool radar. When curious civies began to ask why they were shooting down so many more Luftwaffe, the ingenious government of Winston Churchill put out some propaganda, saying that the pilots were eating more carrots. The Germans bought it...and so did the British mommies. Now, we all eat carrots.
So, I went looking for the propaganda poster. Instead, I stumbled upon many other fun (and wierdly dark) propaganda posters. It got me thinking... does our government use similar tactics today? Obviously, these posters, with "US Government Printing Office" typed right on it made the intent obvious. But these days, the GPO prints the budget, and maybe some books, but nothing as exciting as a scary Nazi poster.
But perhaps we should. Need an anti-0besity campaign. Sure, you could try the public service announcement, but that's not so fun. How about this poster instead:
We need a campaign for going green. Obviously, see-sawing gas prices are not helping the cause of the public transport mavens. And Virginia and LA have derived brisk business in blow-up dolls to fool the HOV lanes. However, if people were branded as traitors by driving alone, perhaps we could effect real change.
On a more somber note, perhaps our war in Iraq would not have lasted as long as it has if, instead of putting a ban on photographing flag drapped coffins, we reminded Americans what death in war really means. In WWII, however, this was used as positive propaganda - as in a "Go War" type of sentiment. I don't really get it, but surely, some kind of lesson can be imposed upon the "bonus mafia" with a poster such as this:And, in honor of the Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and the Grinch, Dr Seuss used his pen for other purposes too - Happy 50th, Doc.
