On Marx vs. Chomsky:

The need for a constantly expanding market: It is this description of Western affairs that the central ideas of both Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” and Chomsky’s “Propaganda Model” both seem to circulate. There is a need for a constantly expanding market, and we are the victims.

The victim approach is something both works have in common.

Marx appeals to the needs of the reader: We know you are not doing well. It is not your fault. There are bad guys out there making your lives bad, so let’s fix it.

Chomsky just tries to scare the shit out of you: We know you are not doing well. It IS your fault. There are bad guys out there making your lives bad, and it is because you let them.

But ideologies aside, there are some specific similarities between their descriptions of society:

1. Mass production. Marx sees the direction of industry as going to the most destructive, yet producing businesses. Chomsky, essentially, described the mass media as just that: destructive, but profitable.

2. Hard won, self acquired property. It is Marx’s view that this term falsely defines ownership. This could apply to many aspect of Manufacturing Consent. Maybe content, maybe view’s time. But most obviously this applies to the freedom of speech. The advertisers have the freedom of speech. The executive editors have the freedom of speech. But in that, they limit the freedom of expression of everyone being advertised to and edited.

3. And finally, Cash Payment. Marx describes it as the current direction of relationships: Purely business. Chomsky sees it as the motivation behind all of our entertainment. Either way, both saw it as the main motivation in our lives. And both saw this as a bad thing.