Chomsky on the Media's Treatment of Atrocities (from Manufacturing Consent 1992)

"There are 3 kinds of atrocities: benign bloodbaths - which nobody cares about; constructive bloodbaths - which are the ones we like; and nefarious bloodbaths - which are the ones the bad guys do."

"You're responsible for the predictable consequences of your actions. You're not responsible for the predictable consequences of someone else's actions. The most important thing for me and for you is to think about the consequences of your actions. What can you affect."

These are the things to keep in mind. They're not just academic exercises. We're not analysing the media on Mars or in the XVIII century or something like that. We're dealing with real human beings, who are suffering and dying, being tortured and starving because of policies we are involved in, we, as citizens of democratic societies, are directly involved in, and are responsible for, and what the media are doing is ensuring that we do not act on or responsibilities, and that the interests of power are served, not the interests of the people suffering, not even the needs of the American people, who would be horrified if they realised that the blood that's dripping from their hands because of the way they're allowing themselves to be deluded and manipulated by the system