--- title: "4 Consumption Quotes By Noam Chomsky" description: "4 Consumption quotes by Noam Chomsky. Plus more from Noam Chomsky and more Consumption sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/noam-chomsky-42_consumption_you-cannot-control-your-own-population-b_85934.jpg" --- > [You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-cannot-control-your-own-population-by-force-but-it-can-be/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/noam-chomsky-42_consumption_you-cannot-control-your-own-population-b_85934.jpg) > [It's been a real success - one of the great business successes in the United States - to break down organization, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-been-a-real-success-one-of-the-great-business-successes-in-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/noam-chomsky-42_break_it-s-been-a-real-success-one-of-the-grea_1519143.jpg) > [There is massive propaganda for everyone to consume. Consumption is good for profits and consumption is good for the political establishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-is-massive-propaganda-for-everyone-to-consume-consumption-is/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c48/noam-chomsky-42_consumption_there-is-massive-propaganda-for-everyone_2500570.jpg) > [The current period of regression is registering some success in "producing people" who are subordinated to external power, diverted to such "superficial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-current-period-of-regression-is-registering-some-success-in/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a1/noam-chomsky-42_bewildered_the-current-period-of-regression-is-regi_2815828.jpg) ## Other authors on Consumption - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b012/author-ivan-illich-44962.jpg) Ivan Illich 9 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/ivan-illich/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-pope-francis-75890.jpg) Pope Francis 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/pope-francis/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-barbara-kingsolver-16355.jpg) Barbara Kingsolver 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/barbara-kingsolver/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b023/author-tim-jackson-90897.jpg) Tim Jackson 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/tim-jackson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b017/author-maurice-strong-65774.jpg) Maurice Strong 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/maurice-strong/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-ludwig-von-mises-61872.jpg) Ludwig von Mises 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/ludwig-von-mises/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-john-kenneth-galbraith-51720.jpg) John Kenneth Galbraith 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/john-kenneth-galbraith/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-john-holdren-51619.jpg) John Holdren 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/john-holdren/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b013/author-jeanbaptiste-say-48124.jpg) Jean-Baptiste Say 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/jean-baptiste-say/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b009/author-erich-fromm-33632.jpg) Erich Fromm 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/erich-fromm/) - [E. F. Schumacher 5 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/e-f-schumacher/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/noam-chomsky/#itemlist", "name": "4 Consumption Quotes By Noam Chomsky", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-cannot-control-your-own-population-by-force-but-it-can-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/noam-chomsky-42_consumption_you-cannot-control-your-own-population-b_85934.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/noam-chomsky-42_consumption_you-cannot-control-your-own-population-b_85934.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/492/noam-chomsky-42_consumption_you-cannot-control-your-own-population-b_85934.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cannot control your own population by force, but it can be distracted by consumption.” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's been a real success - one of the great business successes in the United States - to break down organization, to separate people too: it's part of consumerism. 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