Summary

Chomsky begins this chapter by citing political philosopher David Hume’s observation that in every society, power lies in the hands of the governed. As if the masters of mankind recognized this, an aggressive advertising and public relations industry was born as a means to create a dormant, preoccupied population. With the goal of “trapping people in consumerism,” the advertising industry launched a successful ideological campaign to steer people toward “fashionable consumption” as a means of controlling beliefs and attitudes (126, 125). The resulting consumer culture is less likely to act out against inequality, allowing the wealthy elite to retain and increase their power unhindered. Chomsky claims the ideal societal system, for the wealthy elite, would be a “dyad- a pair” consisting of the citizen and the TV or, now, the Internet, removing all social interaction and independent thought (126).

Using a figurative advertisement for a...