[[File:Ukraine Army with Nazi Wolsfangel.PNG|right|250px|thumb|Officially approved for distribution in English propaganda poster by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Thank You Ukrainian Army” with the Nazi Wolfsengel patch, a [[hate]] symbol,<ref>https://www.adl.org/education/references/hate-symbols/wolfsangel</ref> emblazoned on the sleeve.<ref>https://reportingradicalism.org/en/hate-symbols/movements/nazi-symbols/wolfsangel</ref>]]
'''Propaganda''' ([[Latin]] ''propaganda'' feminine ablative gerundive of ''propago'' I am spreading) is any idea, fact, rumor, or lie, or a wider body of same, which one circulates, publishes, or otherwise spreads by deliberate conscious effort in order to advance or hinder any given cause. This includes activity by a government to instill fear of that government's enemies, either in time of [[war]] or as a prelude to war, especially if the information that the government is promulgating is false. [[Edward Bernays]] is often considered the father of modern propaganda.
Propagandists such as [[demagogue]]s, [[dictator]]s, [[false prophet]]s, and fanatical ideologists allegedly use, but primarily abuse [[logic]]. They all try to convince audiences that their reasoning is logical and sound, while in reality they twist, slant, and distort its process in whatever ways they believe they can without detection. [[Goebbels' maxim]] shows some of these speakers believe that the bigger the misrepresentation they can get away with, the greater the triumph. Since propagandists have already made up their minds, they are not really attempting to use logic in an honest search for [[truth]]. Their intention is only to deceive more effectively.<ref name="Virkler">{{cite book |author=Virkler, Henry A. |title=A Christian's Guide to Critical Thinking |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |location=Eugene, OR |year=1993 |isbn=978-15975-26616 |pages=183–4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rUgqAAAACAAJ}}</ref>