Earthbound Messiah

One of our epoch’s finest political brains, Felix Somary, stated in his book, Crisis and the Future of Democracy, that the better the means for the transmission of news, the more difficult it becomes to make truth known. Even a cursory glance at developments shows that this is so. In most countries the powerful news media such as radio and TV are controlled by the government. The same is true of news agencies; and, furthermore, these are frequently influenced by international organizations. The freedom of the press, more often than not, has become a façade hiding the reality of existing power-monopolies. Even in literature we have privileged establishments. Since in the West there is no official censorship, as in totalitarian dictatorships, people are seldom aware of the degree to which their thoughts are constantly being managed.

Verdict on Schweitzer, by Gerald McKnight. John Day, $4.95

One of our epoch’s finest political brains, Felix Somary, stated in his book, Crisis and the Future of Democracy, that the better the means for the transmission of news, the more difficult it becomes to make truth known. Even a cursory glance at developments shows that this is so. In most countries the powerful news media such as radio and TV are controlled by the government. The same is true of news agencies; and, furthermore, these are frequently influenced by international organizations. The freedom of the press, more often than not, has become a façade hiding the reality of existing power-monopolies. Even in literature we have privileged establishments. Since in the West there is no official censorship, as in totalitarian dictatorships, people are seldom aware of the degree to which their thoughts are constantly being managed.

Verdict on Schweitzer, by Gerald McKnight. John Day, $4.95