There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
The media are a corporate monopoly. They have the same point of view. The two parties are two factions of the business party. Most of the population doesn't even bother voting because it looks meaningless. They're marginalized and properly distracted. At least that's the goal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the influence of media and politics, suggesting that both are controlled by corporate interests, leading to voter apathy.
Noam Chomsky meticulously analyzes the interplay between media and politics, articulating how corporate monopolies shape public perception and diminish the democratic process. He suggests that the two major political parties serve not the interests of the people but rather the business elites, creating a sense of futility among the populace regarding voting. This critique unveils a broader narrative about systemic control and the manipulation of citizens, who are often kept marginalized and distracted from the real issues that affect their lives.
Themes
MediaPoliticsCorporateVotingApathyManipulationDemocracy
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the role of media in a political science class.
More from Noam Chomsky
All quotes →The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
Noam ChomskyRead
If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
Noam ChomskyRead
There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.
Noam ChomskyRead
The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
Noam ChomskyRead
There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
Noam ChomskyRead
Similar quotes
Searching outside of you is Samsara (the world). Searching within you leads to Nirvana.
Amit RayRead
And thus I clothe my naked villainy With odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.
William ShakespeareRead
Much of what we call evil is due entirely to the way men take the phenomenon. It can so often be converted into a bracing and tonic good by a simple change of the sufferer's inner attitude from one of fear to one of fight; its string can so often depart and turn into a relish when, after vainly seeking to shun it, we agree to face about and bear it.
William JamesRead
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought
Abraham LincolnRead
The straight line, a respectable optical illusion which ruins many a man.
Victor HugoRead
Human security recognizes the importance of individuals and that the key to ensuring growth in developing countries is to foster individual talent and abilities, build self-reliance, and put people in a position to make a broader contribution to society. Growth must be inclusive, and no one must be left behind.
Shinzo AbeRead