"The beauty of the democratic system of thought control, as contrasted with their clumsy totalitarian counterparts, is that they operate by subtly establishing on a voluntary basis – aided by the forces of nationalism and media control by substantial interests – presuppositions that set the limits of debate, rather than by imposing beliefs with a bludgeon. Then let the debate rage; the more lively and vigorous it is, the better the propaganda system is served, since the presuppositions are more firmly established. Those who do not accept the fundamental principles of state propaganda are simply excluded from the debate ."
React to this quote
More by Edward S. Herman
See allResonant Thoughts
"Any system of thought which allows no value to human thought will destroy its own efforts. -Fingerprint."
"I have a strong admiration for the Russian people—for their bravery, their many gifts, and their kindly nature. It is the Communist dictatorship and the declared ambition of the Communist Party and th…"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"She tells him, "You were one of the things I liked about Nelson. Maybe I thought Nelson would grow into som…"
— John Updike"Research is to see what everybody has seen and think what nobody has thought."
— Albert Szent-Györgyi"He must be a poor creature that does not often repeat himself. Imagine the author of the excellent piece of…"
— Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr."Studies have shown that 90% of error in thinking is due to error in perception. If you can change your perc…"
— Edward de Bono"You put the government on the spot when you even mention Vietnam. They feel embarrassed — you notice that?.…"
— Malcolm X"It's hard for me to see how members of al Qaeda could be considered prisoners of war. I think they clearly …"
— Eric Holder