Media Control

"The role of the media in contemporary politics forces us to ask: What Kind of a world and what kind of a society we want to live in, and in particular, in what sense of democracy do we want this to be a democratic society? The issue is whether we want to live in a free society or whether we want to live under what amounts to a form of self-imposed totalitarianism, with the bewildered herd marginalized, directed elsewhere, terrified, screaming patriotic slogans, fearing for their lives, and admiring with awe the leader who saved them from destruction, while the educated masses goose-step on command and repeat the slogans they're supposed to repeat and the society deteriorates at home. We end up serving as a mercenary enforcer state, hoping that others are going to pay us to smash up the world."

-Noam Chomsky

And this is just the jacket. Chomsky puts a difficult subject in plain language (as only he can) in Media Control, The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda. Although the heading is quite telling, he describes our democratic system as it is versus how it should be classically defined. Chomsky writes of a business-run society where it is necessary to marginalize and properly distract the ignorant masses in order to put forth plans and policies that would otherwise be unacceptable to these masses. Time and time again these masses have communicated enough to voice political concern only to be incapacitated and overwhelmed by the elite. Although it may push you to disgruntlement, remember that we are not alone and exposure to these ideas and facts is the first step toward a massive realization of the truth.

Thanks to Joel, again, for passing along another Chomsky gem. Peace.