Consequences of Capitalism by Noam Chomsky

We also take up this side of the question in chapter six. “In the face of rising resistance, elites have been able to exploit present discontent in order to pit elements of society against each other. And with the promises of decent jobs, which oddly enough are not fulfilled.” They delivered them to their class enemies, who try to mobilize them on what are called cultural issues: white supremacy, fundamentalist religion, and in other ways to which we’ll return. The Democrats abandoned the working class. During the neoliberal period, the past generation, both parties shifted pretty far to the right. The legislators are listening to other voices. They’re disenfranchised in the sense that when you compare their preferences and attitudes with the decisions made by their own representatives, there’s virtually no correlation. They may cast votes, but it doesn’t much matter. One consequence of all of this, also well established in the academic political science literature, is that a considerable majority of the population, those who are lower on the income-wealth scale, are literally disenfranchised. But these are more things that it wouldn’t do to say. It is scarcely detectable, but even if it existed on any substantial scale, it would be invisible in comparison with the interference in elections by extreme wealth and corporate power. There’s a lot of fuss, as you know, about alleged Russian meddling in the elections. There is no longer fear of excessive democracy.

We’ve discussed some of the means: virtual purchase of elections, radical escalation of lobbying, undermining of voting rights, all facilitated further by the most reactionary Supreme Court in living memory. “One consequence of all of this has been a severe erosion of democracy, an immediate consequence of sharp concentration of wealth and business power. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind”Ĭonsequences of Capitalism: Manufacturing Discontent and Resistance

“In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons … who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. He is referring to himself and other people who are behind the scenes manipulating public opinion, which is another phrase for common sense. “We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested largely by men we have never heard of” (1928). Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government, which is the true ruling power of our country.” Some people might now call that the deep state. “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.

Consequences of Capitalism by Noam Chomsky