Responding to msg by tbyfield@panix.com (t byfield) on Tue, 30 Jan 3:49 PM
Chomsky took the phrase from a book by Walter Lippman, published I think in 1922; the book's name escapes me now.
Would that be "Public Opinion?" If so, that's an interesting progression: Bernays to Lippman to Chomsky: PR begets PO begets ... How would the politico-linguist's advocacy be characterized, PR, PO or whatever is evolving parasitically from hegemonic, ever manipulative media? All the variations of MCI-MS-News-Oracles, global combos and recombos burgeoning and emerging. All the promising, braying, dreaming, lying, manipulating markets and investors reminds of Lippman's and Bernay's and Chomsky's warnings about evil-doers causing the sky to fall.