“Even pacifist agitation or the nation-wide fever of big sports competitions acts as a spur to war fever in circumstances like ours. Any kind of excitement or emotion contributes to the possibility of dangerous explosions when the feelings of huge populations are kept inflamed even in peacetime for the sake of the advancement of commerce. Headlines mean street sales. It takes emotion to move merchandise. And wars and rumors of wars are the merchandise and also the emotion of the popular press.”

— Marshall McLuhan

Source: 1950s, The Mechanical Bride (1951), p. 7

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Marshall McLuhan 416

Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar-- a professor … 1911–1980

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