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Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Under the heading "Brazilian bishops support plan to democratize media," a church-based South American journal describes a proposal being debated in the constituent assembly that..." (more)
Key Phrases: democratic communications policy, nefarious bloodbaths, benign bloodbaths, United States, New York Times, Central America (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 422 pages
  • Publisher: South End Press (July 1, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0896083667
  • ISBN-13: 978-0896083660
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #302,581 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Noam Chomsky
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Under the heading "Brazilian bishops support plan to democratize media," a church-based South American journal describes a proposal being debated in the constituent assembly that "would open up Brazil's powerful and highly concentrated media to citizen participation." Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
democratic communications policy, nefarious bloodbaths, benign bloodbaths, constructive bloodbaths, expressible opinion, lesser abuses, propaganda model, civilian directorate, mobilize bias, historical engineering, proxy forces, indigenous guerrillas, yearning for democracy, evil scourge, supply flights, official enemies, contra aid, terror states, paired examples, contra attacks, proxy army, propaganda system, surveillance flights, terrorist forces
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York Times, Central America, State Department, Soviet Union, Costa Rica, Washington Post, United Nations, Latin American, Esquipulas Accord, World War, Middle East, World Court, West Bank, Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, Stephen Kinzer, South Vietnam, George Shultz, Boston Globe, Security Council, General Assembly, New Republic, San Salvador, Prime Minister
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237 of 246 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Necessary Illusions: Chomsky's tour de force, February 21, 2000
By Anthony Solloway (Brighton, England (a.j.solloway@brighton.ac.uk)) - See all my reviews
Of all the articles and books of Chomsky that I have read, Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies is without doubt the most exhaustively researched (and footnoted), the most logically structured, and the most convincing. Chomsky reminds us that the majority of the populace rely on the various media institutions for their information about political affairs; both domestic and foreign. One can only hold an opinion on a topic if one knows about the topic. So take, for example, the popular myth of the 'persistent Soviet vetoe' at the UN during the cold war. Why do people believe the USSR was constantly vetoeing any and every Security Council Resolution? Simple! When they did, it generated front page condemnation. When the US or the UK exercised their right of veteo: silence. As Chomsky notes, during the years of 1970 and 1989 the former Soviet Union veteod 8 resolutions. The US veteod some 56. This is what Chomsky refers to as Thought Control. Unless the public examine the factual record of the UN themselves, they will never come by this information, (at least not in the mainstream press). So although Chomsky's title may appear somewhat paradoxical, or oxymoronic, a moments reflection on such facts shows it to be, in fact, extremenly pragmatic and truthful. The question is, have you the honesty and sheer guts to question yourself and challenge the information which has contributed to your beliefs? The crux of Chomsky's argument is that propaganda is to a democracy what violence is to a dictatorship. Chomsky points out that, in fact, propaganda is, contrary to popular postulations, more important and vital to a democratic society because people still have some rights. That is, since people can talk, the powers that be must ensure that only the correct words come out of the peoples' mouths. In a dictatorship it does not really matter too much what people think; for whatever they may think, they have to do what they are told, by pain of death. In countries such as the US (and the UK) other, more subtle, methods are required. People often critisise Chomsky for the sources of his information (the copious footnotes). No such critique can be levelled at this work. Chomsky's sources are declassified internal planning documents, naval proceedings documents, and the very institutions he examines, New York Times, Washington Post etc. If there was one Chomsky book I would suggest you to read, this would be it.
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51 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I love it. If Only I Could Read It!, December 3, 2002
By Allan Ostermann "allan" (Portland (the one on the left)) - See all my reviews
I am influenced by Chomsky more than any other political philosopher (although he seems to encompass much more than a mere career categorization). I've studied him on and off for the past five years, and I find it harder and harder to rely on mass media (TV, radio, movies, increasingly more of the internet) for any information. It's like lost innocence. One can never look at these things the same after reading Chomsky.

In this book, he tackles these themes, but concentrates a great deal on U.S. international relations. The equation is basically this: corporations control the government and own the media. U.S. international relations are directly affected and influenced by the whims of multinationals; namely the desire for [inexpensive] production and [inexpensive] resources, exploiting civilians and foreign lands to achieve these means. The government is in the pocket of the corporations.

The ordinary American has little say. We may vote; but we vote for one party; solely representing the interests of the rich, and the huge corporations.

That's a bit of Chomsky in a nutshell. This book supports these arguments with EXHAUSTIVE research. I admit, I found it exhausting to read, but not from lack of interest. He is detailed; which makes his arguments valid. He uses countless examples, all supported by the contradictory historical actions and propaganda of U.S. foreign relations; where the government lies to the public via the media. There are so many quotes and supportive examples that the bibliography could be 40 pages long!

So, I love Chomsky. However I really don't like reading him; but I try. I find the easiest way to get the big picture of Chomsky's views is by watching the documentary, Manufacturing Consent, reading Z Magazine, and also "The Real Story" series of transcribed interviews with Chomsky.

Perhaps I'm just a lazy reader. However I think this book legitimizes many of Chomsky's views, in a dense, detailed, way. But without these supporting examples and quotes, his views couldn't be seen as valid.

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74 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Eyeopener for newcomers, disappointment for Chomskyites, July 24, 2000
By Douglas Doepke (Claremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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On the whole, this book is disappointing and greatly inferior to Chomsky's similarly theme-ed Manufacturing Consent. Necessary Illusions amounts to little more than an updating of media duplicity in mainstream coverage of Central America and Israel. From the title, I expected a more systematic analysis of methods, mechanics, and reasons that operate behind media coverage. Instead, Chomsky offers a loose model of journalistic propaganda and a few methods for detecting its presence, viz. the Comparison Method. However, the model is neither detailed nor a really very useful one. Thus at a time when tv's propaganda function, for one, is becoming clearer to the public, Necessary Illusions fails to deliver much beyond the usual case studies familiar to Chomskyites. Important as this empirical work may be, especially for newcomers to Chomsky, what is needed is a more thorough-going model of how raw news gets processed into self-serving policy reinforcement. In short, a better model of the communication industry's ideological function.

It's surprising that someone as skilled at theorizing as Chomsky appears to shy away from this next logical step to his many invaluable case studies. Americans by and large recognise that despite being "free", the popular media is not to be trusted. Now we need be persuaded why this is so. Perhaps Chomsky doesn't want to risk credibility by pursuing more abstract formulations where researchable fact is less immediate. Whatever the reason, in this book he has clearly debunked some of America's most prestigious and self-serving institutions, which is always a worthwhile read.

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