I bought a newspaper today and read with horror how David Cameron was using psychological techniques and guidance in manipulating the public.  I say horror, because the last time I read of such a thing it was Hitler who also used such methods.  He got them from reading a book called The Crowd by Le Bon.  A book about how the phenomenon which excite and control a crowd.  Whereas Cameron actually has a social psychologist as an aid.  In my naivety I thought well maybe it was just Cameron, only to read on in the article the same social psychologist was used by Blair.  Using psychology to understand people is one thing, using it to manipulate them has a sinister tone to it.  It's almost like he could use manipulations galore and forever being in favour with the public.  However, there's probably a bit of stupidity on the side of the social psychologist if they think this is something they can do to an entire population or even to a part of it.  Generally when Joe Public finds they are being played they get upset.  Secondly it don't take much to look at all the advertising in the world and see how it has influenced human behaviour.  I'm not saying it has not, just rather it takes an awful lot of advertising to pay off dividends.  Again people do have the option of not being captured in the throws of a campaign, by just not reading papers, or watching specific TV adverts.  The mute button I find is great when Sky TV or Cable TV goes a bit beyond it's mark.