# 21. Visual + Symbolic Manipulation ## 21.5 Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 21.5.2. Symbolic manipulation This is the placement of signs or symbols in such a manner as to evoke a desired or undesired response. For example, the flag of Malta is very obviously a Christian symbol and a statement about that country's ultra conservative, violent and post-crusader history of which it appears to be still proud. And the symbolism becomes more subtle if one looks at the icons used by organisations which are obviously biased towards particular cultural origins, like NATO, for instance, which has an unashamedly cruciform symbol and is openly dedicated to the defence of the Western "Christian" world. Another case is the use of the medieval hoods worn by penitents in thousands of Spanish liturgical processions at Easter time every year and by members of the shadowy, racist Ku Klux Klan in the USA at their secret meetings. Similar costumes were used during the European Inquisition to identify heretics at various points in their torture, conversion or execution. Sometimes the pointed hats were filled with burning tar which brought about a slow and excruciating death to the Muslim, Jewish or other heretic victims of the papal inquisitions in Spain and elsewhere. The use and repetition of religious symbols occurs across all cultures and religions. The use of the crescent by the Muslim branch of the International Red Cross is a potent symbol in Islamic countries, where the crescent has been used for centuries as a sign of Islamic civil and religious power. Symbolism is one of the most powerful forms of manipulation because it is often resistant to analysis, and therefore people can "read into" the symbol what they want to see. So, for the modern Spanish liberal the pointed hat is a reminder of the penitence of the bad old days of Inquisition, whereas for the caricature "red-neck" American, it is the symbol of blind racial hatred of the black population of the USA and their white "supremacy".