Democracy in America

Alexis de Tocqueville, "Democracy in America" "After 37 days at sea aboard Le Havre, Tocqueville and Beaumont landed in Newport, Rhode Island on May 9. The journey had been rough, and the passengers and crew had little to eat or drink during the final days. Indeed, the passengers requested that they be allowed to disembark in Newport once it became obvious that fierce winds would prevent the ship from reaching New York as scheduled. I confess that …

…and insidious communication technologies like television. Technologies used to infiltrate the mind and reinforce conformity and the "natural' acceptance of false, me-to "universal" values. He understood that higher education would be more universal while critical thinking and powers of observation would become rarer. It was easy to foresee how the public imagination would be diverted to fantasy and escapism, since it is the exercise of personal fantasy that at least provides the illusion of power.