The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum
There has been a deliberate effort to limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion to relatively moderate liberalism (the left) and relatively moderate conservatism (the right). The intent is to create the illusion that no political ideologies or possibilities exist outside of this narrow spectrum.
Extreme conservativism is not meant to be within the acceptable spectrum.
The acceptable spectrum is supposed to be centered around neoliberalism. Neoliberal technocrats have sought to steer the “Ship Of State” through narrow waters between “Revolution” (the far left) and “Reaction” (the far right). Neoliberals might be willing to steer, from time to time, nearer to reaction than revolution, but the intent is to stay as close to the neoliberal center as possible. Here’s a graphic that the neoliberals came up with to illustrate the concept.
Obviously, the neoliberal technocrats have failed, and the US federal government (the Ship Of State) is now nearly completely captured by various far right reactionary groups. But the mainstream media, in general, is still operating in the mode of neoliberal, centrist thinking. Which is understandable, since that’s the mode they’ve been in for more than half a century.
It’s intentional. As Noam Chomsky said:
There has been a deliberate effort to limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion to relatively moderate liberalism (the left) and relatively moderate conservatism (the right). The intent is to create the illusion that no political ideologies or possibilities exist outside of this narrow spectrum.
I think you meant to say extreme conservatism.
Extreme conservativism is not meant to be within the acceptable spectrum.
The acceptable spectrum is supposed to be centered around neoliberalism. Neoliberal technocrats have sought to steer the “Ship Of State” through narrow waters between “Revolution” (the far left) and “Reaction” (the far right). Neoliberals might be willing to steer, from time to time, nearer to reaction than revolution, but the intent is to stay as close to the neoliberal center as possible. Here’s a graphic that the neoliberals came up with to illustrate the concept.
Obviously, the neoliberal technocrats have failed, and the US federal government (the Ship Of State) is now nearly completely captured by various far right reactionary groups. But the mainstream media, in general, is still operating in the mode of neoliberal, centrist thinking. Which is understandable, since that’s the mode they’ve been in for more than half a century.