Medium contributor Walter Rhein encouraged me to read “Manufactured Consent” by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky.
Mr. Rhein may have had good intentions with his recommendation. But I won’t read this lengthy book for a good reason, which I will explain later.
Here is a description of the book I have taken from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent):
As the model scales upward, it pans to the larger organizations who are financially capable of controlling advertising licenses, lawsuits, or selling environments. The first level displays the public domain in which prominent ideologies within the masses can influence the intentions of mass media. The second level pertaining to the business firms accounts for the media’s source of information as business firms are wealthy enough to supply information to media organizations while maintaining control over where advertisers can sell their advertisements and stories. The final layer, the governments of the major global powers, are the wealthiest subgroup of the pillars of society. Having the most financial wealth and organizational power, media organizations are most dependent on government structures for financial stability and political direction.
From this Wikipedia excerpt, I can see myself agreeing with at least 90% of what these two fellows are saying. Why should I go through such a long read to only re-confirm my convictions that this world is truly out of balance?
I believe Chomsky and Herman had a plan to change the world. Their book would enlighten its readers about nefarious forces shaping our society. While this group would still be a minority of opinion, they would bring up the book’s points in their daily discourse, thereby increasing the knowledge of people who didn’t read the book. As more people become more aware of the issue, that would eventually manifest an effective political force which would then bend the will of the overly ambitious people aspiring for an elected public office. These people would be the ones to rectify the issue. That’s how democracy is supposed to work, right?
So here is my problem with this book. It was written in 1988 or 35 years ago. It was updated in 2002 or 21 years ago. Whether you prefer the 35-year figure or the 21-year figure, we can easily see, in 2023, that not much wonderful has happened in terms of fixing the problems stated in this book. In essence, this popular book has no lasting power.
Where did the book go wrong?
I have seen Dr. Chomsky on many TV news shows, documentaries, and internet videos. He is an excellent spokesperson for his cause. I have to agree with much of what he is saying. But I won’t bother to read his works because he believes that western democracy can eventually implement solutions to resolve the issues he and Mr. Herman had informed us about in 1988.
While Dr. Chomsky and much of the academic world are quick to find reasons and blame for why democracy is not working the way they want, they still insist that western democracy is the only way to govern societies in the 21st century. Philosophers should call this a “paradox.”
Medium contributor Allan Milne Lees has a great hypothesis as to why the world cannot move in Dr. Chomsky’s direction. In Why Democracy Failed, Mr. Lees makes a profound assertion. He believes that only 14% of any western population has the wisdom to cast a wise vote in an election.
I’m not sure where Mr. Lees got his figures from. But my real-world experience is that it would be generous to estimate that one in seven people in my life can engage in a reasonable conversation about politics/society/psychology/history/religion/science/et al, where differences of opinion, perspectives, and facts can be laid out and challenged in a civil manner — and minds can be changed. Most people in my life cannot do this.
But to win elections, the political parties have to cater to most people, which is Mr. Lees’ 86% who cannot cast a wise vote. In other words, if only 14% agree with Dr. Chomsky’s works, it does not matter. And there are ways to manipulate the other 86% to totally bypass whatever Dr. Chomsky is proposing.
While Mr. Lees and I have a similar diagnosis as to the disease within western democracy, we have much different remedies. Nonetheless, I recommend reading Mr. Lees’ book. He is a great writer and can guide readers quickly through a complicated topic, better than most academics. He has insights that many academics have failed to notice.
My remedy is to build a new democracy. From scratch. From the ground up. With a strong foundation. A kinder, wiser democracy.
It will take only 10 hours a month of your time.
Published on Medium 2023
Replacing American Democracy is an Unpopular Opinion
