Umberto Eco on the Internet and Public Opinions

"Do we even need these demotivated, disillusioned secondary school dropouts for growth? No! Every DAX corporation proves in its quarterly report that the fewer of such poorly qualified people they have, the greater the growth. No, we only need them as consumers. And if we only need them as consumers, then a fair amount of stupidity can only be helpful. Maybe we are breeding them! Just think about it for a moment, then all the contradictions dissolve; although the anger grows even greater, the intellectual confusion subsides! […] And what does that mean in a country where poverty is currently exploding? That they are breeding a solid class of idiots. […] Also, the consumer centers, maybe even in your federal state, are having their funds cut. Not a wrong decision either. Why? Well, the rabble shouldn't think, hesitate, or compare. They should buy the first piece of rubbish offered during the commercial break. […] We need idiots; otherwise no one would eat spoiled meat." Georg Schramm

"We see entire societies suddenly fixate their thoughts on a single topic and lose their minds; millions of people are simultaneously gripped by a single delusion until their attention is captured by a new absurdity more fascinating than the first." Charles MacKay