Due to the events from last and this year I got hooked on books on sociology and in general mass control. Reason is very simple - when one gets rather disappointed in the people one tries to find out what and when went wrong.

And unfortunately I have to say course of this planet's society was set way way back. Unfortunately.....

What makes this book bleak and truly dystopian is that author writes almost of events not almost 60 years back but like he is listening and following current news. As he says himself he was surprised that future he foreseen with his novel started to realize in only couple of decades.

Let's see....
Crisis and way it can be misused for obtaining power? Check.
Media effect and polarizing effect of it on the masses? Check.
Danger of succumbing to emotions instead of reason (aka activism)? Check.
Rise of bureaucrats - gray man with power - and technocrats grabbing ever more power into their hands? Check.
Inability to use technology outside of what the author calls Big Technology and Big Government? Oh yes, check.
Bureaucratic tendency not to let power slip from their hands once it is obtained (aka mini-despots)? Check.
Rise of scientific zealots that aim to make people uniform (divergence cannot be allowed) and expect them to behave as automatons? Gas-lighting, contradicting statements that mess up people? Use of fear and general wearing down and exhausting of populace using constant crisis as a control factor? Check, check .... and check.
Indifference of general populace to keep their freedoms and ensure elites are not absolute rulers but executives given limited power for limited time - what you might call prevalence of immediate satisfaction of ones needs instead of going for long term solutions? Check.
Forcing migrations and "herding" people (aforementioned masses) and in general dehumanization of society - again through that uniformity and seeking optimal instead of human society? Check.
Dangers of personality-cults and the way propaganda works to push public opinion into desired direction? Check.
Dangers of distractions and off-tracking in order to busy people with things that do not have any value or long term effect when it comes to changing the society for the better? Oh, man, big check.
Dumbing down of general populace (zombies constantly staring into bloody phones 24/7) and failure of education that becomes more of an activist playground than actual learning tool (again, distractions)? Oh, yes, check.

I was surprised that even at time when author was writing the book theories that basically annulled the human being's biological individuality and considered it as a result of only strict forms of social influence were accepted by good deal of social scientists. Considering this, it is no wonder we are where we are.

I was truly intrigued by Institute for Propaganda Analysis and its demise after only 4 years. If there was ever an indicator that the world people live in is not what they believe it is. I mean who would dismantle organization that aims to make people think - not activist way of thinking so popular today (all of the radical movements (from left to right) this organization considered completely undemocratic because radicalism breeds authoritarianism and suffocates freedom of speech) but actual thinking?

You are right - not people who have best for humanity in their heart.

This is a highly recommended book for everyone to read. Might be overly romanticized view of the world but as long people try to keep their individuality, freedom of speech and in general freedom there is still hope. And becoming aware of things taking place around us is always the first step in the right direction.

Highly recommended.