by Noam Chomsky
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Product Description
Chomsky's classic back-pocket primer on U.S. government propaganda and media bias, now available in an edition expanded to include his comments regarding media coverage of terrorism and U.S. foreign policy in a post-September 11 world.
Amazon.com
"Propaganda," says Noam Chomsky, "is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state"--in other words, the means by which leaders keep the masses in line. In this slim pamphlet, he looks at American propaganda efforts, from the warmongering of Woodrow Wilson to the creation of popular support for the 1991 military intervention in Kuwait, and reveals how falsification of history, suppression of information, and the promotion of vapid, empty concepts have become standard operating procedure for the leaders of the United States--both Democrats and Republicans--in their efforts to prevent citizens from raising awkward questions about U.S. policy.
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Good overview, but superficial, 2008-01-14
This short book is a good introduction to the notion of media control and the manufacturing of consent. Given its length, however, it necessarily lacks some depth and does not develop its arguments as empirically or logically as some might prefer. This book might best suit those who prefer a brief overview, rather than an in-depth exposition, of some of the core concepts in this area.
2 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
 Parasite, 2007-11-25
Chomsky is the worst kind of liberal: a hypocrite - nothing but a parasite on society promoting his own simplistic and sick political agenda as a way to gain notoriety for himself.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Very high-level, 2007-10-27
If it were any other author, I would say, "show me your sources." But it's Chomsky, and he's already written enough books showing his sources. This one isn't meant to be a footnoted volume of case-and-point. It's just a nice high-level essay highlighting the absurdity of the rhetoric of our times. I do have one complaint though. I wish this focused a little bit more on the media than the government. Chomsky blends the two together and speaks of one as if it's the other. Hmmmm...on second thought, maybe he did that on purpose.
Anyway, a light read for Chomsky fans and a nice intro for those unfamiliar with his work.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
 Chomsky is brilliant, but ..., 2007-07-31
Brilliant, very insightful. I have only one problem with Noam Chomsky's position - his absolution of general population from responibilities of their goverment. Yes, America is a big bully and there is a lot of propaganda, but isn't it what the majority wants to hear? Doesn't it feel good when we can beat up on countries like Yugoslavia to make us feel good about our might? The problem with Irag and Vietnam is that, as with all bullies, if you fight back, the bully turns cowardly. Continuing resistance of Iraqies makes Americans, and media, feel insecure about themselves - with all that might and money we cannot control a few cavemen! Propaganda is successful not becuase there is a goverment conspiracy with media - it is successful because we want to hear what the media says.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
Point Well Made?, 2007-03-22
A very dumb Senator from Kentucky said of "Free Speech," once upon a time, that ones ability to give money to a political party, or candidate, equals speech. To limit how much money one can contribute, is limiting ones speech. Essentually this means if you have not the bucks, you should not be heard, or cannot be heard, or will not be heard, or you have nothing to say worth listening to.
As we in this country allow the consolidation of our media, this is quickly becoming the case. Big corporations buy air time on the radio, or television, and showcase their products, or services, and there is no rebutal. In essence they can lie, which is what 98% of advertising is anyway, and there is no one with the bucks to buy airtime to say they are telling a lie. Cell phone carriers lie about the cost of their service, as do banks, and insurance companies.
"Media Control," is commenting on just this sort of an event. This is a major reason why the everyday citizen cannot hold a major political office, the cost of air time. That which makes political campaigning so very expensive. The more we allow a consolidation of media, the more one sided will be the tale you hear. Propaganda. The one huge reason Newt (Scrooge) Gingrich squealed so loudly aganist public broadcasting. It is all about MONEY.
Mr. Chomsky makes a good argument that this is a disasterous pratice, even more dangerous than the government having absolute control over media. This only means you can only be heard if you can pay for the time. People with varing opinions are for the most part shut out of the debate, because the FCC, like the FDA, only backs big business. We are not as free, or democratic as we might think.
Newspapers only reporting that which brings in money, and does not make big advertisers look bad. Just so much music being played on the radio, because some guy far removed from your community thinks we should have cookie cutter music. Examine if you will CNN, a once no nonsense news gathering organization, that is until Time Warner bought the network. Now you cannot get the news for the commercials. Thank God for a mute button. Besides we only get maybe 40% of the available news if that much as it is, and very, very little in the way of international news. Unless a Pope were to pass, or the true idenity of the person responsible for knocking up Anna Nicole were revealed.
A very good lesson in freedom lost, and how the accomplice is your own government, because we know more about Lindsay Lohan's parting habits than we know about what the White House, or Congress is up to.
Absorb this very compelling book, and divise a way out of this mess.
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