Analysis Quote by Noam Chomsky
“You don't have any other society where the educated classes are so effectively indoctrinated and controlled by a subtle propaganda system - a private system including media, intellectual opinion forming magazines and the participation of the most highly educated sections of the population. Such people ought to be referred to as "Commissars - for that is what their essential function is - to set up and maintain a system of doctrines and beliefs which will undermine independent thought and prevent a proper understanding and analysis of national and global institutions, issues, and policies".”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Media Control, 1990s
The quote warns that educated elites can be co-opted by subtle propaganda, turning them into enforcers of dominant doctrines that stifle independent thinking.
In simple terms: Educated elites may become propaganda enforcers, limiting free thought.
Key Takeaway
Beware of intellectual conformity and demand diverse perspectives.
Themes
media control
propaganda
intellectual conformity
political power
critical thinking
Mood
cautious
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic circles
- policy analysis
- journalism
- public discourse
- education policy
Key Concepts
hegemony
manufacturing consent
elite co-optation
ideological control
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we identify subtle propaganda in elite discourse?
- What mechanisms protect independent thought in academia?
A Different Perspective
Even with awareness, entrenched interests can resist change, making reform difficult.
![“My guess is that you would find that the intellectual elite is the most heavily indoctrinated sector [of society], for good reasons. It's their role as a secular priesthood to really believe the nonsense that they put forth. Other people can repeat it, but it's not that crucial that they really…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/19d/noam-chomsky-42_quote_my-guess-is-that-you-would-find-that-the_802251.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
