Cold war Quote by Noam Chomsky
““Propaganda campaigns in general have been closely attuned to elite interests. The Red scare of 1919-20 have served well to abort the union-organizing drive that followed World War I in the sell and other industries. The Truman-McCarthy Red scare helped inaugurate the Cold War and the permanent war economy, and it also served to weaken the progressive coalition of the New Deal years. The chronic focus on the plight of Soviet dissidents, on enemy killings in Cambodia, and on the Bulgarian Connection helped weaken the Vietnam syndrome, justify a huge arms buildup and a more aggressive foreign policy, and divert attention from upward redistribution of income that was the heart of Reagan's domestic economic program. The recent propaganda-disinformation attacks on Nicaragua have been needed to avert eyes from the savagery of the war in El Salvador and to justify the escalating U.S. investment in counterrevolution in Central America.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Media and Propaganda (1990)
Propaganda aligns with elite interests, shaping public perception to support wars and economic policies while diverting attention from inequality.
In simple terms: Propaganda serves elite goals, masking inequality.
Critically evaluate media messages.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- news consumption
- political activism
- education
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify information sources?
- What interests benefit from current narratives?
Propaganda can be subtle and pervasive.