And this movie was released some 16 years ago; and consolidation in corporate hands of traditional media around the world has greatly intensified since then.
If we don't know what's really going on, all our other (remaining) civil rights are meaningless. Knowledge is power, and a balance of knowledge is required for a balance of power; but as things stand, those who govern us know whatever they want to know about what we do, while we know virtually nothing about what they do.
The main source of hope has been the internet. We MUST protect net neutrality (among other things) -- not only by warding off legislation that would permit corporations to charge more for access to selected urls, but ALSO to impose MEANINGFUL PENALTIES for violations. (Cease-and-desist orders or fines that amount to a hand-slap easily endured as a cost of doing business are NOT meaningful.
It was 16 years before I came across a documentary as eye-opening for me as Manufacturing Consent was. It's a 4-part series called "Century of the Self"; you can see Part 1 and find links to the other parts at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8953172273825999151 .
If we don't know what's really going on, all our other (remaining) civil rights are meaningless. Knowledge is power, and a balance of knowledge is required for a balance of power; but as things stand, those who govern us know whatever they want to know about what we do, while we know virtually nothing about what they do.
The main source of hope has been the internet. We MUST protect net neutrality (among other things) -- not only by warding off legislation that would permit corporations to charge more for access to selected urls, but ALSO to impose MEANINGFUL PENALTIES for violations. (Cease-and-desist orders or fines that amount to a hand-slap easily endured as a cost of doing business are NOT meaningful.
It was 16 years before I came across a documentary as eye-opening for me as Manufacturing Consent was. It's a 4-part series called "Century of the Self"; you can see Part 1 and find links to the other parts at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8953172273825999151 .