Citizens of democratic societies should take courses in mental self-defense to protect themselves against manipulation and control. In Chomsky's analysis, the media are, on one hand, propaganda tools of foreign policy without being directly controlled by the state, and on the other hand, they serve to create societal consensus. News that could unsettle the population is suppressed or downplayed, ensuring that there is no doubt about the political leadership's stance. This includes the method of meticulously highlighting and scrutinizing the crimes of the "enemy," whoever that may be at the time, while downplaying the misdeeds of one's own country or allied states.