It's interesting that the question of how critical thinking could be used to limit the influence of propaganda arises. This question is ironic because the answer ultimately provides the solution to the extinction of the influence of propaganda. If used meticulously and correctly against propaganda, its purpose would be subsequently extinguished. Since the prominent process by which propaganda operated was a process of simplifying complicated ideas so as to ensure the majority of the masses could understand the messages sent out, critical thinking, if applied during WWII, could have countered these ideas with logic and could have helped the masses subjected to them reject them. There are many aspects of critical thinking that could be examined as to their usefulness against the strengths of propaganda, but the best and most obvious examples are the five basic and fundamental critical thinking skills. The use of these five basic abilities, when implemented against propaganda, would have been the ultimate weapon against suggestive material from oppressors.
The first process in determining whether a statement, ad, or film (as was the primary outlet for propagandist material during WWII) is harmful propaganda is identifying the issue at hand. The issue is the point the material is trying to get across or that it is claiming as true. With this, the observer must also assess what position is being taken on that particular issue. In Fritz Hippler's "The Eternal Jew," for example, the main goal was to show the Jewish race as evil or infecting their societies as rats do the streets. Hippler was using the tactic of demonizing the Jews to turn the masses against them. Author Harold Lasswell wrote on this saying, " every war must appear to be a war of defense against a menacing, murderous aggressor. There must be no ambiguity about who the public is to hate." Upon analysis of the film, the issue of whether the Jewish race was bringing down society is recognizable and obvious and the stance or position of its creators (Hippler working for the Nazi's) is supporting that claim.
