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The leading student of business propaganda, Australian social scientist Alex Carey, argues persuasively that “the 20th century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.
Noam Chomsky
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Chomsky highlights the tension between democracy and corporate power in the 20th century.

This quote by Noam Chomsky underscores the significant developments in the 20th century concerning democracy and corporate influence. Chomsky argues that while democracy has expanded, corporate power and the means to propagate corporate messages have also intensified, suggesting a persistent struggle where corporate interests seek to fortify themselves against the democratic process that ideally represents the interests of the populace.

Themes

DemocracyCorporate PowerPropagandaPoliticsSocial Science

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about modern democracy, one might quote Chomsky to illustrate the challenges posed by corporate interests.

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