The Chomsky Reader

It has been some years since I've read "The Chomsky Reader". I've read most everything Noam Chomsky has written over the years. I find his intellect penetrating and his methodology nearly inimitable. This copy was purchased by me, not for me, but for a young, (20 year old) friend at work. I had it sent directly to him. I don't know if anyone before has invested in his education in a similar way but I felt it an inexpensive effort to make him aware of something he might not find on his own. My own little "butterfly wing effect". Perhaps there will be no significant result but I doubt it will hurt. Maybe we might all consider gifting those we encounter in our lives, who might be receptive, with those authors, we find perspicacious and right minded. Noam Chomsky is a tweak to the intellect to those who are willing to venture an attempt. I trust that is how my young friend will respond. Perhaps in some small way, he will interact with the world differently as a result of my intervention and just maybe, this world will be a bit kinder to my grandchildren as a result, just maybe.

"One may choose to have selective faith in the domestic political leadership, adopting the stance that Hans Morgenthau, one of the founders of modern international relations theory, condemned as 'our conformist subservience to those in power'--THE REGULAR STANCE OF MOST INTELLECTUALS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. But it is important to recognize that PROFESSION OF NOBLE INTENT[by political and military leaders] IS PREDICTABLE AND THEREFORE CARRIES NO INFORMATION, even in the technical sense of the term. Those who are seriously interested in understanding the world will adopt the same standards whether they are evaluating their own political and intellectual elites or those of official enemies. One might fairly ask how much [American rhetoric] would survive this elementary exercise of rationality and honesty."Noam ChomskyHEGEMONY OR SURVIVAL:AMERICA'S QUEST FORGLOBAL DOMINANCEFrom Chapter Two:"Grand Imperial Strategy"(emphasis mine)THE CHOMSKY READER, redundant as it may sound, is great for the skeptical intellectual. The kind who (for whatever reason) needs more than simply his investigative journalist/college professor credentials and source materials voluminously footnoted in every one of his books to accept the truth of what he has to say. In fact, for those who would question his patriotism, given his penchant for speaking truth to power, this may be one of the most disturbing--and exhilarating--of his more than seventy books in print. His laser-like, X-ray vision analysis of the covert brutality of American foreign policy--Orwellian Newspeak that accompanies it--is revealed to not just have a basis in grade school integrity, cutting edge linguistics and modern anarchism, but even moreso in the philosophical principles of the Enlightment: those funny ideas that gained popularity around when our Constitution was written.In one of the many essays that make up this collection, Chomsky quotes an English economist during the Cold War years that says America is not an enemy of Communism, but an enemy of DEVELOPMENT. This can be considered, above and beyond all other themes that Chomsky routinely returns to in all of his books, to be the central one of this outing and perhaps the foundational message of his entire career. Throughout every essay in this volume, from about 1970 to 1988, Chomsky shows that American foreign policy has been centered around the prevention of any and all development around the world--economically and politically--that does not further facilitate American post-World War II imperialism. Whether it be the repeated secret invasions and tacit military/economic support of death squads and dictators in Latin America and the Middle East, preventing democracy from flowering in these countries since (at least) the fifties...the myth of Chinese and Russian communism running the show in Vietnam, justifying the slaughter of millions of civilians and the destruction of their country's entire infrastructure (beginning to develop under their own brand of communism much better, and with less murders, than under the brutal French colonial system of the fifties)...the use of the CIA and military to disrupt even the thought of pan-Asian, Indian or pan-African coalitions producing an economic unity/development agenda that leaves out the "interests" of Europeans and American corporations...all of American foreign policy since World War II, and much of it beforehand, is an expession of this golden rule: *prevent uncontrollable world development at any cost.* And the phenomenal uses of the military abroad and propaganda at home, via the corruption of the media and our intellectuals, facilitate the total control this state dynamic has on our national character and public mind.The core of this book's brilliance is revealed via Chomsky's revealing of the philosphical foundations of his world view. It is like reading a political version of the movie ADAPTATION. He shows under no uncertain terms how this *prevent development* rule in American politics, driven by military force, affects all of us. But more importantly, he shows his political philosophy's roots in modern anarchism to be, in themselves, the next phase in the natural developmental path of the democratic principles of the Enlightenment of the 18th century; something that sounds inmpossible only because such intellectual, moral and social development WITHIN our culture has been all but stamped out by the modern American Police State to the same degree basic human rights, democracy and economic development is being stamped out of so many countries outside of it for most of this century.Is it possible to use Marxian analysis without being a Marxist--in fact, ripping apart Marxist hypocrisy in practice while using it--in a blistering critique of American hypocrisy? Is it possible to make such historical events as the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s revelvant to the families of fallen soldiers in an illegal and immoral war with today's Iraq? Is it possible to do all this in a way that makes one's love of the real American spirit joyfully obvious? And can it be done in a way that won't put the average person to sleep? Read this book and see; I challenge you to be able to put it down.

The problem with these essays is that some of them were written a long time ago. The essay on the Palestinians dates from 1983, so its copious detail is almost irrelevant to current conditions.This does not gainsay Chomsky's originality and superiority as a thinker. There is no one like him.

Great book, but alarming...a harsh dash of reality

Dear Colleagues, Noam Chomsky understands the power of language, the nature of language, how language can be used and how language is frequently abused by those who would seek to lead us, influence us, beguile us, repress us or simply rip-us off for as long as possible.Noam Chomsky makes people think, he poises some of the difficult questions, and will maybe have you struggling to justify some of your best and long held beliefs in people and society. In this way, this book is both a gentle introduction and a great mental workout, if nothing else, and it can be much more.Starting with this book by Chomsky if you haven't read any of his stuff before is like deciding on a diet and workout plan that is neither drastic or radical, but eases the reader into the Chomsky ways of seeing things, of gathering facts, of interpreting language and of developing ideas and analysis. Chomsky is nearly always delivering arguments that are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive, which leads for well focussed and sometimes overly-knowledge rich text, but it's well worth the effort - in my book Chomsky is one of the greatest thinkers of the last 100 years - even if you, like me, will disagree with at least 50 percent of Chomsky's conclusions.Regards,[email protected]

This book should be required reading for all political science degree majors. Actually it should be required for all students. It takes an interesting look at the things most Americans ignore, either by choice or out of ignorance. This is a great book for first time readers of Chomsky. He doesn't ask you to know any background information before reading it. He provides all of the information and evidence you need to understand his point of view. Yet, the essays in this book are powerful and thought provoking. It's completely engaging.

The Chomsky reader is a must for anyone, liberal or conservative, who seeks insight away from the mainstream media. I think he is overboard at times but the viewpoint is invaluable and stimulating.

There is no plot, this is a non-fiction book. Chomsky is a critic of our society, and is usually worth reading.

Everything about Chomsky is nice , this book is very good ...interviews and the chapter about Spanish civil war very interesting.

Fascinating reading