The End of Literacy and The Triumph of Spectacle

A fascinating book review by Gary Corseri of Chris Hedges' Empire of Illusion currently appears at Dissident Voice:
http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/08/the-end-of-literacy-and-the-triumph-of-spectacle/

"Ours [America's] is a culture of manipulation, one of 'inverted totalitarianism.' Hedges borrows the phrase from Sheldon S. Wolin’s Democracy Incorporated. 'Inverted totalitarianism,' Hedges writes, 'unlike classical totalitarianism, does not revolve around a demagogue or charismatic leader. It finds expression in the anonymity of the Corporate State. It purports to cherish democracy, patriotism, and the Constitution while manipulating internal levers. … Political candidates are elected in popular votes by citizens, but candidates must raise staggering funds to compete. They are beholden to armies of corporate lobbyists … who author the legislation. … Corporate media control nearly everything we read, or hear. It imposes a bland uniformity of opinion. It diverts us with trivia and celebrity gossip. …In classical totalitarian regimes … economics was subordinate to politics.' In America, economics is dominant."

-- Gary Corseri (read the whole article at the link above)