Necessary illusions: thought control in democratic societies

Abstract

The five chapters that make up the core of this book are modified versions of the 1988 Massey Lectures that the author delivered over CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) radio. The chapters suggest certain conclusions about the functioning of the most advanced democratic systems of the modern era, particularly about the ways in which thought and understanding are shaped in the interests of domestic privilege. In capitalist democracies, there is a certain tension regarding locus of power. The people rule in principle, but decision-making power over central areas of life resides in private hands. This dilemma is sometimes resolved by depriving democratic political structures of substantive content, while leaving them formally intact. A large part of that task is assumed by ideological institutions that channel thought and attitudes within acceptable bounds. Thought control, as conducted through the agency of the national media, is the institution examined here. A set of five appendices provide an explication of the propaganda model developed, together with case studies illustrating its applications.