Topic > Analysis of Noam Chomsky's Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power

Index IntroductionPrinciple #1: Reduce DemocracyPrinciple #4: Shift the BurdenPrinciple #8: Keep the Mob in LinePrinciple #10: Marginalize the PopulationConclusionIntroductionThe Requiem For the American Dream is an intense and insightful documentary featuring Noam Chomsky, the film's narrator, who clarifies the fundamental flaws in our political system that detract from democracy. Noam Chomsky discusses ten principles in which he calls them "The Ten Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power". These ten principles focus on the ideals of the wealthy and the United States government, including controversial issues surrounding corruption and the use of power over the past 250 years. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Principle # 1: Reduced democracy The first principle of Chomsky's "Ten Principles of Concentration of Wealth and Power" is called "reduced democracy." The problem this principle presents is that the U.S. government is acting in a way that downplays democracy for the benefit of the wealthy. Most rich people deeply detest democracy because they want to ensure that the poor are powerless and the rich get richer. As Chomsky explains, “Throughout American history, there has been an ongoing clash between pressures for greater freedom and democracy coming from below and efforts for control and domination coming from above.” This principle has affected the lives of people in America today because it has been a constant problem. Wealthier individuals firmly believe that poor people should not be entitled to power or rights, such as voting or moving up in social class. The rich want power and domination all for themselves and they do so by exploiting the working class. Chomsky specified that sectors of the population became more active in society and fought for rights such as minority rights, women's rights, and environmental change that transformed consciousness but caused great fear to the government and wealthier individuals. The possible consequences of this principle on a global level The individual level represents the difficulty for the lower class to move up the hierarchy. Individuals could lose confidence, motivation or even their well-being if this principle were applied. The consequences on a social level could lead to riots and total destruction within society. If the government decides to reduce democracy, people from the middle and lower class society will fight forcefully for their rights. This could lead to greater distrust of the US government and increased hatred across divisions of the population. Reducing democracy would cause society to lose control. To diminish its influence, it is important for the government to ensure fairness and equality across all levels of society. Therefore, the U.S. government should invest more in education, raise the minimum wage, and provide more opportunities to the lower and middle class in order to create a sense of hope and increase the well-being of others. Principle no. 4: Shifting the Burden The problem that the fourth principle presents is the injustice of “shifting the burden” of the economy to the lower and middle class because the rich and corporations want to pay less taxes. From a moral perspective, the American government taxes those with higher incomes to support the economy. However, the US tax system is still considered unfair due to the fact that the richest 0.1% of the population is able to increase their wealth the most, with theresult of a disadvantage for the lower class. Wages remained stagnant for a long time and companies refused to pay taxes due to their selfish reasoning of wanting to maintain profits. The fourth principle affects people in America today because even though the rich are taxed much more, the burden is still placed on the working class. For example, wages are still taxed and the prices of education and healthcare are still out of our reach. It is still difficult for the working class to pay these expenses while trying to build a promising future. The US tax system continues to be unacceptable and unfair to society. The consequences that it could bring at an individual level concern above all working class individuals. It's harder to make a living while being taxed so extensively. It's also difficult to pay for expenses like college and healthcare. That said, people who try to pursue a dream may lose motivation and determination. The consequences that could occur on a social level are class war. The different classes in our society could lead to war because of the inequality this principle entails. To lessen its influence, it is important that the wealthy and businesses exclusively understand the importance of being taxed more for the benefit of society. They would need to completely change their perspective and have more empathy towards the working class. Principle no. 8: Keep the rabble in line Chomsky's eighth principle is called "Keep the rabble in line" and presents the problem of the rich wanting to prevent the working class from fighting for their rights. As Chomsky states in the documentary, “there is an organized force that has traditionally been at the forefront of efforts to improve the lives of the general population. This is organized labor. It is also a barrier to corporate tyranny", which means that the working class plays a significant role in the betterment of society. The eighth principle affects the lives of people in America today by preventing the working class from obtaining new rights or seeking improvements . in the workplace. This principle also affects people's lives on a psychosocial level because it prevents individuals from having a say and from trying to build a better future. The consequences it could cause on an individual level are the loss of motivation and strength of will in achieving career and personal goals. The eighth principle could cause people to feel discouraged from having any point of view towards the inequality and injustice that our society consists of on a social level they are violence, war between classes, revolts, more organized strikes and demands for rights. To diminish its influence, it is important to continue to allow individuals to speak openly about what they believe. Principle no. 10: marginalize the population The last and tenth principle is called “Marginalize the population”. The problem that this principle presents is with the population, which could be the cause of destruction and mutual hatred. Activists and organizations could perhaps be the reason for the anger and animosity in society. The tenth principle affects the lives of people in America today by causing individuals to become more selfish and only care about their own personal interests. This will lead to “an extremely ugly society,” based on Adam Smith's vile maxim “all for myself, nothing for others.” The consequences of the tenth principle at the individual level could lead to frustration, selfishness and greed. wealth rather than.