“The triumph of advertising in the culture industry is that consumers feel compelled to buy and use its products even though they see through them.”
The authors oppose the political systems that they view as negating the thought of public enlightenment. In the quotation, they attack the whole concept of capitalist nations, that capitalism only aims to manipulate and exploit. They assert that since enlightenment both mental and religious is the ingredient for cultural progress then capitalism and fascism obstruct development. In that, as western capitalism is all about exploiting the lower class and turning the public into blind consumers, enlightenment cannot take place.
“There is only one expression for truth: the thought which repudiates injustice. If insistence on the good sides of life is not sublated in the negative whole, it transfigures its own opposite: violence.”
The authors are completely opposed to thoughts that inhibit enlightenment therefore they are strong opponents of fascist regimes. Fascism advocate for propaganda that aims to sway public opinion whilst prohibiting the freedom of speech. Therefore, personal enlightenment for the benefit of cultural progression cannot be attained in that social setting. In the assertion, they point to the social domination that comes with thoughts that foster injustice and violence.
