Chomsky Fingers the Media

[Fellow Aspirant]

There's general consensus on this forum about the complicity of the mass media and those wielding power behind the scenes in the efforts to control the masses. While a more recent assessment of the makeup of this alliance would have to include the role played by the secret intelligence gathering industry (military and corporate), I think that we owe a debt of gratitude to the insight and work done by Professor Noam Chomsky.

It was his 1988 book, "Manufacturing Consent", that was responsible for the awakening on thousands, including myself. If you want to have a look at a highly organized, comprehensive and deeply insightful analysis of how our society is manipulated, you can't do better than Chomsky's writings. Although now accepted as truisms, they were controversial revelations in 1988. We've come a long way, thanks to Mr. Chomsky. He was the first to put it all together. The following excerpt is from...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky%27s_political_views

At its core, his view is this ...

"Government and news media

Editorial distortion is aggravated by the news media’s dependence upon private and governmental news sources. If a given newspaper, television station, magazine, etc., incurs governmental disfavor, it is subtly excluded from access to information.

Consequently, it loses readers or viewers, and ultimately, advertisers. To minimize such financial danger, news media businesses editorially distort their reporting to favor government and corporate policies in order to stay in business.
Editorial bias: five filters

Herman and Chomsky's "propaganda model" describes five editorially distorting filters applied to news reporting in mass media:

Size, Ownership, and Profit Orientation:

The dominant mass-media outlets are large firms which are run for profit. Therefore they must cater to the financial interest of their owners - often corporations or particular controlling investors. The size of the firms is a necessary consequence of the capital requirements for the technology to reach a mass audience.

The Advertising License to Do Business:

Since the majority of the revenue of major media outlets derives from advertising (not from sales or subscriptions), advertisers have acquired a "de-facto licensing authority".[4] Media outlets are not commercially viable without the support of advertisers. News media must therefore cater to the political prejudices and economic desires of their advertisers. This has weakened the working-class press, for example, and also helps explain the attrition in the number of newspapers.

Sourcing Mass Media News:

Herman and Chomsky argue that “the large bureaucracies of the powerful subsidize the mass media, and gain special access [to the news], by their contribution to reducing the media’s costs of acquiring [...] and producing, news. The large entities that provide this subsidy become 'routine' news sources and have privileged access to the gates. Non-routine sources must struggle for access, and may be ignored by the arbitrary decision of the gatekeepers.”[5]

Flak and the Enforcers:

"Flak" refers to negative responses to a media statement or program (e.g. letters, complaints, lawsuits, or legislative actions). Flak can be expensive to the media, either due to loss of advertising revenue, or due to the costs of legal defense or defense of the media outlet's public image. Flak can be organized by powerful, private influence groups (e.g. think tanks). The prospect of eliciting flak can be a deterrent to the reporting of certain kinds of facts or opinions.[5]

Anti-Communism:

This was included as a filter in the original 1988 edition of the book, but Chomsky argues that since the end of the Cold War (1945–91), anticommunism was replaced by the "War on Terror", as the major social control mechanism.[6]

For an expanded and "plainer" version of the "Five Filters", look here ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model#The_filters

I especially appreciate his recent update:

"So I think when we talked about the "fifth filter" we should have brought in all this stuff -- the way artificial fears are created with a dual purpose... partly to get rid of people you don't like but partly to frighten the rest.

Because if people are frightened, they will accept authority."


Thanks, Noam :cool:

Brian

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

Anyone can disagree with anyone, but I feel like you are right about Chomsky, if he is not "in the know" he sure tried hard to research these things.
I have great respect actually for people who have been to jail over a Constitutional issue with paying taxes.
I think a professor told me he went to prison for refusing to pay "The Man" -- that immediately made him more interesting to me.

Thank you for honoring him. Somewhere I have "Understanding Power" and also "Propaganda and the Public Mind".
Those are good and I need to finish them both.

You're brave for going there.

One thing though, I think Chomsky supported the UN in some ways, prior to 9/11, and they played right into Bush/Blair's hands...

I guess even Chomsky can be wrong sometimes, especially about fresh conspiracies that still need to be investigated and put down,
but the UN might have too much esteem from him.


Chomsky is often described as one of the best-known figures of the American left, although he doesn't agree with the usage of the term. He has described himself as a "fellow traveller" to the anarchist tradition, and refers to himself as a libertarian socialist, a political philosophy he summarizes as challenging all forms of authority and attempting to eliminate them if they are unjustified for which the burden of proof is solely upon those who attempt to exert power. He identifies with the labor-oriented anarcho-syndicalist current of anarchism in particular cases, and is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. He also exhibits some favor for the libertarian socialist vision of participatory economics,[2] himself being a member of the Interim Committee for the International Organization for a Participatory Society.[3]

He believes that libertarian socialist values exemplify the rational and morally consistent extension of original unreconstructed classical liberal and radical humanist ideas in an industrial context.[4]

Chomsky has further defined himself as having held Zionist beliefs, although he notes that his definition of Zionism would be considered by most as anti-Zionism these days, the result of what he perceives to have been a shift (since the 1940s) in the meaning of Zionism (Chomsky Reader).

I think there is room for the Left to talk to the USA.
I think technology and industry will solve many humanitarian problems, and the next big problem will be "will humans die of war/boredom over nothing or will we make it into space as a species" :)

I think libertarian socialism is kind of what they practiced in the movie "Star Trek: First Contact"

also from the film Wall Street we get the tongue in cheek comment, "Good things take time".



It wasn't feudalism or monarchy really, that the Pilgrims and other USA settlers were fleeing.
It was a breakdown in moral fiber of the aristocratic class.

See, in the 1500-1600s a lot of power and virtue exercised by the monarchs in europe was taken and reinvested in the middle and upper class.
with the advent of Masonry and other movements, the need for a "moral figurehead" diminished and within 400 years we were in the Dark Ages again.

There is no suitable help for the insane, for veterans, for the poor, or for anyone else "unprivileged" in the USA today.
In 1500s England, even the crazy people had a place to live, trust funds, and the crown's duty was protecting the property of the downtrodden as well as enjoying the privileges of rank.

I don't think the American Revolution or the French Revolution were very effective overall.
We simply replaced one aristocracy with a worse one.
Now the Military Industrial Complex is making the moral choices instead of the king.

That is no good because as we all know and understand, corporations are NOT people, they do not care, they cannot die, can't be punished or hanged.

[Cognitive Dissident]

Chomsky makes some very powerful arguments about the media and government in Manufacturing Consent - but he still supports the official story on 9/11 and dismisses any attempt to persuade him otherwise!

Maybe, like James Howard Kunstler who is also very insightful on certain issues, he is "allergic to conspiracy theories", but he should be smart enough to realise that this "allergy" is very deliberately manufactured, just like manufactured consent.

It is a very wierd situation, with Chomsky, very contradictory. How can somebody so smart and so willing to challenge consensus on some issues, be so unwilling to challenge consensus on other issues?

[jackovesk]

Anyone can disagree with anyone, but I feel like you are right about Chomsky, if he is not "in the know" he sure tried hard to research these things.
I have great respect actually for people who have been to jail over a Constitutional issue with paying taxes.
I think a professor told me he went to prison for refusing to pay "The Man" -- that immediately made him more interesting to me.

Thank you for honoring him. Somewhere I have "Understanding Power" and also "Propaganda and the Public Mind".
Those are good and I need to finish them both.

You're brave for going there.

One thing though, I think Chomsky supported the UN in some ways, prior to 9/11, and they played right into Bush/Blair's hands...

I guess even Chomsky can be wrong sometimes, especially about fresh conspiracies that still need to be investigated and put down,
but the UN might have too much esteem from him.


Chomsky is often described as one of the best-known figures of the American left, although he doesn't agree with the usage of the term. He has described himself as a "fellow traveller" to the anarchist tradition, and refers to himself as a libertarian socialist, a political philosophy he summarizes as challenging all forms of authority and attempting to eliminate them if they are unjustified for which the burden of proof is solely upon those who attempt to exert power. He identifies with the labor-oriented anarcho-syndicalist current of anarchism in particular cases, and is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. He also exhibits some favor for the libertarian socialist vision of participatory economics,[2] himself being a member of the Interim Committee for the International Organization for a Participatory Society.[3]

He believes that libertarian socialist values exemplify the rational and morally consistent extension of original unreconstructed classical liberal and radical humanist ideas in an industrial context.[4]

Chomsky has further defined himself as having held Zionist beliefs, although he notes that his definition of Zionism would be considered by most as anti-Zionism these days, the result of what he perceives to have been a shift (since the 1940s) in the meaning of Zionism (Chomsky Reader).

I think there is room for the Left to talk to the USA.
I think technology and industry will solve many humanitarian problems, and the next big problem will be "will humans die of war/boredom over nothing or will we make it into space as a species" :)

I think libertarian socialism is kind of what they practiced in the movie "Star Trek: First Contact"

also from the film Wall Street we get the tongue in cheek comment, "Good things take time".



It wasn't feudalism or monarchy really, that the Pilgrims and other USA settlers were fleeing.
It was a breakdown in moral fiber of the aristocratic class.

See, in the 1500-1600s a lot of power and virtue exercised by the monarchs in europe was taken and reinvested in the middle and upper class.
with the advent of Masonry and other movements, the need for a "moral figurehead" diminished and within 400 years we were in the Dark Ages again.

There is no suitable help for the insane, for veterans, for the poor, or for anyone else "unprivileged" in the USA today.
In 1500s England, even the crazy people had a place to live, trust funds, and the crown's duty was protecting the property of the downtrodden as well as enjoying the privileges of rank.

I don't think the American Revolution or the French Revolution were very effective overall.
We simply replaced one aristocracy with a worse one.
Now the Military Industrial Complex is making the moral choices instead of the king.

That is no good because as we all know and understand, corporations are NOT people, they do not care, they cannot die, can't be punished or hanged.

IMHO Noam Chomsky is yesterday's news...:yes4:

He led many to the 'Entrance' of the ((Rabbit Hole)), however he wasn't as good as others after him that showed us how to navigate through it...:nono:

In other words...Chomsky knew...:yes4: But that's as far as he was willing to go...:wizard:

He should have been called the ((Wizard of Oz))..!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZR64EF3OpA&feature=player_detailpage

[spiritguide]

We can all see systematic dysfunction through the heart with wisdom without being told it exists. The inherent fault is in when finding dysfunction we do nothing to dismantle it, just complain and go on. We debate how big the dragon's teeth are as we are being devoured. IMHO

Peace!

[jackovesk]

We can all see systematic dysfunction through the heart with wisdom without being told it exists. The inherent fault is in when finding dysfunction we do nothing to dismantle it, just complain and go on. We debate how big the dragon's teeth are as we are being devoured. IMHO

Peace!

Little bit of reverse-psychology there, I like it...:thumb:

But the real question I'd like to know is...

What are you doing about it personally...:confused:

[spiritguide]

We can all see systematic dysfunction through the heart with wisdom without being told it exists. The inherent fault is in when finding dysfunction we do nothing to dismantle it, just complain and go on. We debate how big the dragon's teeth are as we are being devoured. IMHO

Peace!

Little bit of reverse-psychology there, I like it...:thumb:

But the real question I'd like to know is...

What are you doing about it personally...:confused:

Show me yours and I will show you mine....... lol. Living through the heart and constantly giving in a selfless manner in all things without ego.

Peace!

[Fellow Aspirant]

I agree with those who criticize Chomsky for his "blindness" on the 911 attacks, but to say that he has pointed out the way to the rabbit hole but refused to pass through, or that he has done little in the ensuing years (he's yesterday's news) displays a huge ignorance about the man and his work, as even a cursory review of his activities reveals. He has written over 100 books, for example, and continues to this day to do speeches and interviews to bring truth to the world. He has inspired and influenced hundreds of artists, intellectuals, scientists and even politicians, whose work has expanded his message a thousandfold. As recently as 2005 he was voted the "world's top public intellectual".

Wikipedia's info on him states ...

Chomsky has been a highly influential academic figure throughout his career, and was cited within the field of Arts and Humanities more often than any other living scholar between 1980 and 1992. He was also the eighth most cited scholar overall within the Arts and Humanities Citation Index during the same period.[28][29][30][31] His work has influenced fields such as artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, logic, mathematics, music theory and analysis, political science, programming language theory and psychology.[30][31][32][33][34] Chomsky continues to be well known as a political activist, and a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy, state capitalism, and the mainstream news media. Ideologically, he aligns himself with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism.

In the 1990s, Chomsky embraced political activism to a greater degree than before.[109]
Chomsky at the World Social Forum (Porto Alegre) in 2003

His far-reaching criticisms of U.S. foreign policy and the legitimacy of U.S. power have raised controversy.[110][111] Chomsky has received death threats because of his criticisms of U.S. foreign policy.[112] He has often received undercover police protection at MIT and when speaking on the Middle East, although he has refused uniformed police protection.[113] The Electronic Intifada website claims that the Anti-Defamation League "spied on" Chomsky's appearances, and quotes Chomsky as being unsurprised at that discovery or the use of what Chomsky claims is "fantasy material" provided to Alan Dershowitz for debating him. Amused, Chomsky compares the ADL's reports to FBI files.[114]

Chomsky was voted the leading living public intellectual in The 2005 Global Intellectuals Poll conducted by the British magazine Prospect. He reacted, saying "I don't pay a lot of attention to polls".[219] In a list compiled by the magazine New Statesman in 2006, he was voted seventh in the list of "Heroes of our time".[220]

Actor Viggo Mortensen with avant-garde guitarist Buckethead dedicated their 2006 album, called Pandemoniumfromamerica, to Chomsky.[221]

On January 22, 2010, a special honorary concert for Chomsky was given at Kresge Auditorium at MIT.[222][223] The concert, attended by Chomsky and dozens of his family and friends, featured music composed by Edward Manukyan and speeches by Chomsky's colleagues, including David Pesetsky of MIT and Gennaro Chierchia, head of the linguistics department at Harvard University.

In June 2011, Chomsky was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize, which cited his "...unfailing courage, critical analysis of power and promotion of human rights."[224]

In 2011, Chomsky was inducted into IEEE Intelligent Systems' AI's Hall of Fame for the "significant contributions to the field of AI and intelligent systems".



Here's a list of honourary degrees bestowed upon him for his work:

In early 1969, he delivered the John Locke Lectures at Oxford University; in January 1970, the Bertrand Russell Memorial Lecture at University of Cambridge; in 1972, the Nehru Memorial Lecture in New Delhi; in 1977, the Huizinga Lecture in Leiden; in 1988 the Massey Lectures at the University of Toronto, titled "Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies"; in 1997, The Davie Memorial Lecture on Academic Freedom in Cape Town,[203] in 2011, the Rickman Godlee Lecture at University College, London [204] many others.[205]

Chomsky has received many honorary degrees from universities around the world, including from the following:

University of London
University of Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Swarthmore College
University of Delhi
Bard College
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Pennsylvania
University of St. Andrews
Georgetown University
Amherst College
University of Cambridge
University of Colorado[206]
University of Buenos Aires
McGill University
Rovira i Virgili University
Columbia University
Villanova University
University of Connecticut
University of Maine
Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
University of Western Ontario
University of Toronto
Harvard University
University of Chile
University of Bologna
University of La Frontera
University of Calcutta
National University of Colombia
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Santo Domingo Institute of Technology
Uppsala University
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
University of Cyprus
Central Connecticut State University
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
Peking University[207]
National Tsing Hua University[208]

His academic and public career has spanned almost six decades (most professionals peter out after half that time). He is not "in the know" in the sense that he has some kind of access to government or illuminatii secrets, he is "in the know" as a man who is highly intelligent and is paying attention to what is being openly said and done. He sees the contradictions and coded use of language by the media, military and government agencies and alerts the rest of us to the reality of the thought control that is going on. And he continues to do so. To refer to him as a quitter or a spent force or as someone who is no longer relevant is a gross misrepresentation of the facts about this man's life and his contributions to our world. Look at his long, long, long track record of truth telling and give credit where credit is due.

In other words, we should do, with respect to his accomplishments, what he has helped so many of us to do: wake up.

Excerpts taken from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky

Brian