.-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-
 / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \
 `-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'
                        
.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-
 \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / /
  `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`
    
.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   
 \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ 
  `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`
THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS
  .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-
 / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \
 `-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'
    
.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-
 \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / /
  `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`
    
.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   .-.-.   
 \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ / / \ \ 
  `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`-'   `-`

Here the propagandist is trying to get you to adopt a perspective you would be hesitant to accept. To do so, an even worse alternative is offered as the only option. There are two bad alternatives, but one is not so bad as the other. The imperfect option is still better than the horrendous one.

This kind of persuasive communication is more than a simple propaganda technique. The Lesser Of Two Evils is actually the principle that when faced with selecting from two immoral options, the one which is least immoral should be chosen. The origin of this theory maybe can be found in Homer’s Odyssey, during the crossing between Scylla and Chariddus: Odysseus chose to engage Scylla, which resulted in the loss of a few sailors rather than losing the entire ship.

Here the propagandist is trying to get you to adopt a perspective you would be hesitant to accept. To do so, an even worse alternative is offered as the only option. There are two bad alternatives, but one is not so bad as the other. The imperfect option is still better than the horrendous one.

[IMG BELOW] Both in the WWII poster and in the WWIII meme the aim is to make a bad choice looks acceptable, compared to the worst one: like killing himself instead of being drafted or save food to help Churchill instead of Hitler.

See other propaganda techniques:
ASSERTION ◊ BANDWAGON ◊ CARD STACKING ◊ GLITTERING GENERALITIES ◊ FALSE DILEMMA ◊ THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS ◊ NAME CALLING ◊ PINPOINTING THE ENEMY ◊ PLAIN FOLKS ◊ TESTIMONIALS ◊ TRANSFER ◊ DESIRES AND FEARS 

 

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