Noam Chomsky (b. 1928) American linguist and activist

The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum - even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.

The Common Good (1998)

Post a comment

We welcome your help in making WIST even better. If you have a correction, addition, (alternate) source/citation for a quotation, etc., please post it below. (Please, however, don't use this as a forum for discussing your thoughts about the quotation itself.)

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.hill-kleerup.org/blog/mt4/080510t.cgi/14344

About WIST

WIST is my collection of quotations I find meaningful, moving, amusing (intended or not), well-phrased, and/or to which I just say I "Wish I'd Said That." But just because I quote it here doesn't mean I actually agree with it. If you have any comments, corrections, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to

More about WIST


Quotes by Author

Browse through authors:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Others    Sig Lines

All Authors (search authors)

WIST Front Page


WIST Info

WIST Front Page

Administrivia
WIST History
Looking for quotes
Looking for citations

The WIST Store

My Blog
My Blog (about WIST)



Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More

Creative Commons License
This weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Powered by
Movable Type 4.01