chomsky presciently explains the conditions that led to the rise of a resurgent fascism across the world over the past decade, most recently in the UK election, and the role played therein by far right and alt-centrist media propaganda
this is from 2009, shortly after the economic crisis which alt-centrists treated as a minor aberration from the norm, shifting the costs to the working class while shielding the elites (which include themselves) from criticism and responsibility. They sowed the seeds for all this
key phrase from what chomsky says: "they're not hearing anything else" but the alt-right propaganda, boosted by alt-centrist media like the BBC, which acted like the public relations arm of the tories
as I've said before a particularly absurd feature of alt-right narratives about the left is that it's all-powerful and hegemonic, with total control over all major media and cultural institutions, when in reality it's run by their alt-centrist enablers
this also applies to trump. for all the performative outrage which is great for ratings he's purely a media spectacle: eg making him a household name w/ apprentice, Morning Joe boosting him early in the primary, Moonves' admission that he's "bad for america but great for ratings"
the point of alt-right narratives is to concoct a bogeyman, and the absurd caricature of an all-powerful marxist left plays that role. the reality is exactly the opposite: the left, who are the only ones telling people what is really happening to them, is constantly marginalized
is it possible for the left to gain enough strength to be able to surmount its twin-enemies, the alt-right and the alt-centrists who enable and boost them, both of whom are comprised of elites who dominate society? well, as chomsky said, unless we can, we're in for trouble...
