“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”

—Edward Bernays, nephew of Sigmund Freud and father of PR, in his book “Propaganda” (1928). As seen in Adam Curtis' documentary “The Century of the Self.”

The question for all of us, I suppose, is: What constitutes our invisible government, and thus our true ruling power, today?

Tags: Edward Bernays, The Century of the Self