Noam Chomsky

"When a politician uses the word 'folks,' we should brace ourselves for the deceit, or worse, that is coming." Noam Chomsky

"An individual's refusal to carry out the criminal acts of his government sets the stage, in the most effective way possible, for the attempt to demonstrate the criminal nature of these acts." Noam Chomsky

"Any dictator would admire the uniformity and obedience of the U.S. media." Noam Chomsky

"Intellectuals are in a position to expose the lies of governments, to analyze actions according to their causes and motives and often hidden intentions." Noam Chomsky

"In the US, there is basically one party - the business party. It has two factions, called Democrats and Republicans, which are somewhat different but carry out variations on the same policies. By and large, I am opposed to those policies. As is most of the population." Noam Chomsky

"Governments will use whatever technology is available to combat their primary enemy - their own population." Noam Chomsky

"I try to encourage people to think for themselves, to question standard assumptions... Don't take assumptions for granted. Begin by taking a skeptical attitude toward anything that is conventional wisdom. Make it justify itself. It usually can't. Be willing to ask questions about what is taken for granted. Try to think things through for yourself." Noam Chomsky

"Far from creating independent thinkers, schools have always, throughout history, played an institutional role in a system of control and coercion. And once you are well educated you have already been socialized in ways that support the power structure, which, in turn, rewards you immensely." Noam Chomsky

"The public is not to see where power lies, how it shapes policy, and for what ends. Rather, people are to hate and fear one another." Noam Chomsky

"It’s ridiculous to talk about freedom in a society dominated by huge corporations. What kind of freedom is there inside a corporation? They’re totalitarian institutions - you take orders from above and maybe give them to people below you. There’s about as much freedom as under Stalinism." Noam Chomsky

"All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume." Noam Chomsky

"The process of shaping opinion, attitudes, and perceptions was termed the 'engineering of consent' by one of the founders of the modern public relations industry, Edward Bernays." Noam Chomsky

"Rational discussion is useful only when there is a significant base of shared assumptions." Noam Chomsky

"If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion." Noam Chomsky