“In a world of concentrated wealth and major conflicts of class interest, to fulfill this role requires systematic propaganda” --Noam Chomsky
In the quote above, Noam Chomsky is referring to the role that propaganda plays in our world. He states that because our world is so consumed with wealth and because the interests of different social classes conflict, the United States manufactures consent through propaganda. We see this time and time again in the news. The news often plays a huge role in convincing the public about how to feel about certain situations. Take the copious instances of police brutality for example. Here is the way that typical stories of police brutality are framed in the news; a black man is stopped by a cop for doing something suspicious, the cop reasonably asks the black man to be still and comply, the black man does not perfectly comply therefore the cop feels threatened and shoots the black man because the cop feels at risk. In the news, police brutality is framed as an understandable human reaction to a perceived threat. The reality of it is that a black man is often targeted for no reason other than the color of his skin, the black man is asked to put his hands up or not move when he is totally innocent, the black man makes a small movement and the cop's racism leads the cop to believe that the black man is a threat therefore he ends up shooting the innocent black man for absolutely no reason. While this is often the reality, this is never what is reported in the news. This is because the role of systematic propaganda in our society is to promote the United States government and allow the public to continue to believe in and support it. The interest of the government and low-income black communities are conflicting, therefore the news serves the purpose of making sure that the United States is never seen as the bad guy.
In the quote above, Noam Chomsky is referring to the role that propaganda plays in our world. He states that because our world is so consumed with wealth and because the interests of different social classes conflict, the United States manufactures consent through propaganda. We see this time and time again in the news. The news often plays a huge role in convincing the public about how to feel about certain situations. Take the copious instances of police brutality for example. Here is the way that typical stories of police brutality are framed in the news; a black man is stopped by a cop for doing something suspicious, the cop reasonably asks the black man to be still and comply, the black man does not perfectly comply therefore the cop feels threatened and shoots the black man because the cop feels at risk. In the news, police brutality is framed as an understandable human reaction to a perceived threat. The reality of it is that a black man is often targeted for no reason other than the color of his skin, the black man is asked to put his hands up or not move when he is totally innocent, the black man makes a small movement and the cop's racism leads the cop to believe that the black man is a threat therefore he ends up shooting the innocent black man for absolutely no reason. While this is often the reality, this is never what is reported in the news. This is because the role of systematic propaganda in our society is to promote the United States government and allow the public to continue to believe in and support it. The interest of the government and low-income black communities are conflicting, therefore the news serves the purpose of making sure that the United States is never seen as the bad guy.
I thoroughly enjoyed your point on the way that various kinds of propaganda, like racism work on the American psyche. I specifically liked your example of police brutality as an example of the propaganda produced by a violent and repressive system.
ReplyDeleteThe framing of policy brutality and the counterpoints to that movement, is mirrored by the goals and ideals of the All Lives Matter Movement— one that frames police brutality as a reaction to violence and threat, rather than as a systemic or institutional problem. The All Lives Matter movement aims to paint the U.S and its repressive systems as necessary to violence and crime, this framing is repeated and amplified by media environments such as Fox News or Right Wing Conservatives.
The framing of police brutality facilitates the support of government and criminal policy that often oppresses racial minorities, supports the prison system, and obfuscates vision towards judicial reform within the criminal justice system.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI also thought this quote was interesting. I agree with what you said above and how the media often frames certain events to make the majority group in the right, and the minority in the wrong. Noam Chomsky is in fact referring to how propaganda is so prevalent in our lives and it often serves the needs of the wealthy, leaving a large amount of bias and framing in the media today. I thought this quote was also interesting in the fact the Chomsky explicitly point out that we are not serving media/propaganda fairly.
With the concept of police brutality and African Americans, it 's personally frightening to me how the media can frame any situation, and make it appeal to areas of the government so we abide to the rules and regulations of the government. It also scares me in how I am worried about my perceptions of the world and if what I believe in might be "wrong" or "untrue" but the way the media framed it to me, made me believe so. In history, the United States has been involved or created many harmful events, however, in school we only learn about the victories and the wronging of the other cultures, etc. This also goes into how we have little knowledge or education about other cultures. I think the way our textbooks are created is another form of propaganda in the way that we are only learning one side of the story. Overall, I thought this quote was interesting and it made me go into depth on my own experiences in schooling and the media I have been exposed to.
I enjoyed your commentary on Chomsky's reading. I also agree with your viewpoint on how propaganda intertwines into our society, specifically with issues involving race. I also see this play out in the news in the case of terrorist acts. When an atrocity is committed by a person of color, the media is quick to identify it as that- a terrorist act. Yet, when the wrongdoer is a white man, the news often explores stories surrounding his family and home life, mental illness, or being a bully's victim, first. I believe that this is in place in order to perpetuate the corrupt system of politicians, gun laws, and super PACs. Without the propaganda, the system can fall apart.
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