“Manufacturing consent” should be required reading for all Americans.

These economists expressed the correct viewpoint that benefits the capital class so their viewpoint and credentials are validated and legitimized. “Right-thinking economists” are promoted while economists that have views that dont benefit multinational corporate interest are pushed to the fringes.

This is extremely well documented and when you see it spelled out in the book you will not be able to see the world in the same way.

Lex Friedman was nobody until he published a study that self driving cars were safe while Elon musk was in the midst of legal battles for his cars killing people. Lex Friedman is a “right thinking” academic so next thing you know Elon musk is talking on his podcast calling Lex “the smartest person in the world” despite having almost no credentials.

It works both ways i.e. "consent" is being "manufactured" to rabble-rouse people against H-1Bs.

Jacques Ellul wrote about it in far more depth and detail in the 50s - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45159470