[bassrattle]

> Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble to petition the governement for a redress of grievances

The founding fathers were documented as being MUCH more forward-thinking than most people assume. The thought bubbles you mention and mass-manipulation existed hundreds of years ago. "Capital compels thought" isn't new and the only saving grace is the anyone can voice anything they desire and we don't need any license to participate in the marketplace of ideas.

[solardev]

I don't think this is a binary situation, but a matter of degree. It's not like the founding fathers weren't aware of propaganda, but the sheer scale of it today IS unprecedented. We have followed these laws for decades, and the result has been a democracy in its death throes. It's not a hypothetical, we're living through what happens when our legal system can't keep up with the rampant corruption and capitalist takeover.