Prophetic Book: One Dimensional Man, by Herbert Marcuse

[Ufomammut]

Invaluable insight into democratic unfreedom and "comfortable" forms of control. Do yourself a big favor, read it, and ask yourself:
Just how free am I?

http://www.marcuse.org/herbert/pubs/64onedim/odmcontents.html

"Marcuse believes that people are not free because they function within systems such as the economy. If people were really free, they would be free from these systems. For example, people would only have to work as little as possible to provide for their needs, not an established amount of time. He states that only when people are free from these systems can they determine what they really need or want. Because we are not yet free, we have "false needs". These needs are exemplified by the range of choices which we are offered in our economy. However, each of these choices reinforces the social norms that now exists. Because each choice has the same result (reinforcement of social norms), there is no real choice. Marcuse says highly advanced societies are welfare/warfare states. Welfare states restrict freedom because they limit free time, access to necessary goods and services, and citizen's ability to realize true self-determination. The warfare state hinders a true analysis of society because it keeps people focused on fighting the "enemy" instead of focused on internal social problems."