--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The literature is like that - they…" description: "\"The literature is like that - they [unions] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose, and how to control them. They understand wha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg" --- # The literature is like that - they \[unions\] are constantly… ![“The literature is like that - they [unions] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose, and how to control them. They understand what they're doing, and they're very class conscious. They press policies which work for their interests.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg) > “The literature is like that - they \[unions\] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose, and how to control them. They understand what they're doing, and they're very class conscious. They press policies which work for their interests.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques unions for claiming to represent the masses while actually serving their own class interests and controlling the working class. **In simple terms:** Unions claim to help people but act in self‑interest. Key Takeaway Beware of groups that claim to speak for others. Themes politics class media labor power Mood skeptical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - union negotiations - political campaigns - media analysis - public policy debates Key Concepts class consciousness elite control political economy Questions to Reflect On - Do you see examples where unions truly empower workers? - How can workers verify the motives of their representatives? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize unions and ignore their positive achievements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) ## Related quotes > [The war against working people should be understood to be a real war…. 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But I deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-auchincloss/as-the-classes-in-modern-life-come-together-we-have-become-much-more/) [Louis Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-auchincloss/) > [We don't have a lot of class-conscious filmmaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/we-don-t-have-a-lot-of-class-conscious-filmmaking/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [ “Oleg Bard: I understand, but by virtue of that power of imagination which, according to \[Georgi\] Plekhanov, is granted to Marxists, I can already… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-mayakovsky/oleg-bard-i-understand-but-by-virtue-of-that-power-of-imagination/) [Vladimir Mayakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-mayakovsky/) > [There isn't much discussion of ruling class in America even in Boston, probably one of the most class-conscious cities in the country?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-chang/there-isn-t-much-discussion-of-ruling-class-in-america-even-in-boston/) [Iris Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-chang/) > [ Anti-union propaganda has been considerably more successful here \[ in the U.S.\] than in Europe, even among working people who would benefit \[from\] unions. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anti-union-propaganda-has-been-considerably-more-successful-here-in/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Policies are designed to undermine working class organization and the reason is not only the unions fight for workers' rights, but they also have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/policies-are-designed-to-undermine-working-class-organization-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Labor # Unions are the leading force for # democratization and # progress .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/labor-unions-are-the-leading-force-for-democratization-and-progress/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [NATO was constructed on the - with the reason, whether one believes it or not, that it was going to defend Western Europe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-reason-whether-one-believes-it/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ Private sector unionization is down to practically seven percent. Meanwhile the public sector unions have kind of sustained themselves \[even\] under attack, but in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-practically-seven-percent/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## 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. 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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. 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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. 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