Eric Johnson

“Any government is evil if it carries within it the tendency to deteriorate into tyranny,” he warned the Russian scientists. “The danger of such deterioration is more acute in a country in which the government has authority not only over the armed forces but also over every channel of education and information as well as over the existence of every single citizen.”
― Walter Isaacson

“Instead, successful propaganda will occupy every moment of the individual’s life: through posters and loudspeakers when he is out walking, through radio and newspapers at home, through meetings and movies in the evening. The individual must not be allowed to recover, to collect himself, to remain untouched by propaganda during any relatively long period, for propaganda is not the touch of the magic wand. It is based on slow, constant impregnation. It creates convictions and compliance through imperceptible influences that are effective only by continuous repetition. It must create a complete environment for the individual, one from which he never emerges. And to prevent him from finding external points of reference, it protects him by censoring everything that might come in from the outside. The slow building up of reflexes and myths, of psychological environment and prejudices, requires propaganda of very long duration.”
― Jacques Ellul, Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes

“Keeping the fear stoked is big business. Those in the intelligence community know it’s the basis of their influence and power. And government contractors know it’s where the money for their contracts comes from. Writer”
― Bruce Schneier, Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World

“It made a sound,” Carl says. “Can you describe it?” “Ever put a harmonica in a blender?” “No.” “Then no, I can’t describe it,” he says.”
― Anonymous