Quote by Ursula K. LeGuin
The pornography of violence of course far exceeds, in volume and general acceptance, sexual pornography, in this Puritan land of ours. Exploiting the apocalypse, selling the holocaust, is a pornography. For the ultimate selling job on ultimate violence one must read those works of fiction issued by our government as manuals of civil defense, in which you learn that there's nothing to be afraid of if you've stockpiled lots of dried fruit.
Summary
This quote highlights the prevalence and societal acceptance of violence depicted in various forms of media compared to sexual pornography. It criticizes the manipulation and commercialization of catastrophic events, such as wars and disasters, likening it to pornography. The use of government-issued civil defense manuals is also derided, as they are portrayed as fictional works that downplay legitimate fears by asserting that any concerns can be alleviated through mundane preparations. The quote suggests that the glorification of violence and the trivialization of real dangers contribute to a pornographic obsession with the spectacle of destruction.