The good news is that as marketers get smarter, so do kids. Certainly corporations will play their role in media literacy, but they will always suck and blow at the same time - and therefore it will always fall to parents and educators to ensure a level of critical thought and analysis that can combat the ever present marketing onslaught.

Reich emphasizes that it’s essential for citizens (and their government) to take the responsibility to pass laws that protect democracy and human rights. Although corporations sometimes act responsibly, they are not citizens or even “moral beings” — they exist to make money. We cannot expect them to police themselves or lead the way in moral or ethical causes — as citizens, we have to make sure our personal and social values are protected. Reich makes many other good points about government and lobbyists, the conflicting roles of “citizen” and “consumer”, and the changes it would take to revive democracy — check out the program on the the KQED Forum website.