Citizens Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Neoliberal democracy. Instead of citizens, it produces consumers. Instead of communities, it produces shopping malls. The net result is an atomized society of disengaged individuals who feel demoralized and socially powerless. In sum, neoliberalism is the immediate and foremost enemy of genuine participatory democracy, not just in the United States but across the planet, and will be for the foreseeable future.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Media and Democracy, 1999
Neoliberalism turns citizens into consumers, eroding community and democratic participation.
In simple terms: Neoliberalism creates consumer citizens.
Promote community over consumption.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- grassroots organizing
- education initiatives
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities reclaim agency?
- What policies counter consumerist democracy?
Economic incentives can resist change.