13 Comments
User's avatar
Tocquot's avatar

This reminds me of Jean Baudrillard's concept of hyperreality. Political manipulations do not just result in ‘invisible wars’ in our minds, but in real wars: La guerre du Golfe n'a pas eu lieu.

Expand full comment
Charles Lambdin's avatar

Great summary

Expand full comment
Luis Enrique Cuéllar's avatar

Sometimes I feel that this "us" versus "them" is the sign of our times. Even something as simple as empathizing with a movie character becomes a thing of #teamthischaracter versus #teamtheothercharacter. There's no middle point anymore.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Apr 22
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Luis Enrique Cuéllar's avatar

Indeed. This isn't new, but it has intensified quite heavily.

Expand full comment
Susan C-P's avatar

I read Chomsky’s book when it was first published. He uses data to show how newspapers of the time suppressed and distorted the facts of the 1980 rape and murder of four US nuns in El Salvador. It made me wake up to how poorly informed we can be, given the systems that frame our reality.

BTW: An update on their murder: https://newrepublic.com/article/193598/el-salvador-nuns-murder-maryknoll-sisters-truth

Expand full comment
John's avatar

I have always found him interesting on this - and he has always been open and clear about his convictions in the work I have read.

Expand full comment
Rachel Muto's avatar

Love you Noam. You’ve been an important part of our lives in raising collective consciousness and providing the light of truth in a world where it is encouraged to use too my Id and not enough Superego. Peace to you and your loved ones.

Expand full comment
TanSkeptic's avatar

A GREAT MIND CAN DISMANTLE IMPERIL NAZI ZIONIST LIES

Expand full comment
George Stubbs's avatar

"Manufacturing Consent" is one of the most influential books of my life.

Expand full comment
David Bates's avatar

Is this war of mind's created by the projective & receptive nature of our human mind? Is why we read: Don't think, but look! — Wittgenstein. Don’t judge, but perceive! — Jung? Are we self-hypnotically confused by the subconsciously 'reflexive' habit of neuro-linguistic projections onto the reality we 'think' we are seeing? Those surface impressions of reality our eyes see & our minds project reality-labelling words onto? And is it possible that there exists in this world, a well-educated 'banality-of-evil' to paraphrase Hannah Arendt?

Expand full comment
Jerry Spiegler's avatar

As much as I respect Professor Chomsky, these "discoveries" have been staring Americans in the eyes and ears since the Camel Cigarette Challenge was announced on American radio programs that aired during the 1930's.

Expand full comment
Meri Aaron Walker's avatar

Indeed, this is how it works

Expand full comment
Lindsey Louther's avatar

Noam Chomsky is one of the most important commentators of our time. A true pedagog: I always feel when I read his works that he is trying to teach me something. That he is preparing me to navigate the vagaries of the world of the elite. He is my exemplar of a man with integrity. I admire you, thank you and appreciate you more than you can imagine Mr Chomsky.

Expand full comment