How the World Works (Real Story (Soft Skull Press)) Paperback – September 20, 2011

Noam Chomsky is one of the great intellects of our time. He is a professor at MIT and a leading scientist-philosopher and political theorist with special contributions in the areas of theoretical linguistics and cognitive science. This book is a compilation of interviews and speeches largely focused on political theory, covering a wide range of topics from NAFTA to East Timor. As a result, it is a great primer on his thought.While Chomsky’s grasp of history and world affairs is unparalleled, perhaps his greatest intellectual gift is his ability to distill the diversity and complexity of world events down to a simple picture, simply explained. Such ability for distillation, of course, often offends those whose opinions and perspectives don’t survive the distillation, either because they are inaccurate or irrelevant, which is why we don’t hear more about him in the US media. All the more reason, I believe, to hear what he has to say.The lens through which he distills the world in this book is the power of capital. It is not greed, because once you are the richest nation on the planet or individually worth more than 100 billion dollars, but will still do almost anything for more, greed is no longer rational or relevant. Power, however, is a cup that never overflows.America, Chomsky argues, has never been a democracy. And while that has always been true in a technical sense (The Electoral College and US Senate were, from the beginning, designed to be barriers to allowing the populace to control its own destiny.), he sees our constant reference to democracy as the distracting hand of the magician who is, with his other hand, picking the pockets of the world.Despite what our leaders in Washington tell us, there is no democratic ideology in American politics and foreign policy. There is only the quest for power that flows from unbridled wealth. He quotes the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London as concluding that, “while the US pays lip service to democracy, the real commitment is to ‘private, capitalist enterprise.’” In other words, our true ideology is how to further enrich and empower the corporations, hedge funds, and other capitalist cabals that own the country and the political process. As John Jay said, “The country should be governed by those who own it.” And indeed they do.If, as John Dewey put it seventy years ago, “Politics is the shadow cast on society by big business,” how have they pulled off “capital’s clear subjugation of labor,” and taken such firm control of both Americans in general, including the ones so subjugated, and the political process in particular?The simple answer is sleight of hand. Chomsky argues that for years that magical distraction was the Cold War, funneling untold wealth and the research and technology paid for by American taxpayers through the Pentagon and its proxies, through its enormous funding of research, unimaginably large spending power, and virtual guarantee that every country in the world will bow to American corporate will or suffer the might of the greatest military every assembled.The Pentagon and its proxies even created the American tech revolution, which we have naively attributed to the genius of a few young visionaries who could see the future the rest of us couldn’t, when, in fact, if was the Department of Defense and the US taxpayer who made it all possible. (And who, by the way, have never received a nickel in financial return on the investment.)With the end of the Cold War, and the realities of the tech world now emerging into the light, exposing both the limits and the evil realities it has unleashed, our government effortlessly substituted jobs as the great justifier of our continued capital pillage.And now, it seems, having created jobs that few people seem to want, (worker engagement runs at an all time low) we have once again effortlessly shifted the distracting hand of the magician to the defense of democracy. Authoritarianism, we are told, is the new enemy of freedom and prosperity. Will the sleight get enough traction to continue to fuel our brand of free market capitalism or will labor – all labor, long subjugated, insist that its voice be heard?If you are an American who believes that we are the strongest nation in the world due to the strength of our democratic institutions and that our politicians rule solely for our benefit, there is much in this book you won’t agree with. There is some I don’t agree with. But that, in my mind, is all the more reason to read it. If you can’t defend your own perspective against Chomsky’s insight and reasoning, then you are just another magician.I won’t recommend that you read this book. But I do challenge you to.

Outstanding collection of interviews with the great professor. Four Noam Chomsky books in one convenient volume, what’s not to like? Perfect gift for anyone unfamiliar with his analyses and the true nature of the US government.

He takes on the world view in his classic pragmatism. It’s eye opening and intellectually stimulating. I personally find him among America’s best scholars and man of wisdom.

Ever wonder why extremely poor countries like those in Central and South American and the Caribbean seem so corrupt and destitute? Chomsky can help you understand the endless poverty, iniquity, and dishonesty. He can also assist your understanding of the role of the U.S. in maintaining the status quo.Depressing stuff; eye opening reading. His perspectives on the media and propaganda are especially insightful.There are those who disagree emotionally with Chomsky's view of "how the world works." But from what I've read, Chomsky backs his views up with carefully referenced public documents; his detractors prefer the fairy tale version of capitalism and "the free market," and base their comments upon emotion rather than data.Highly recommended, but be warned...depressing stuff.

Excellent

I think Chomsky is pretty smart. I think he is a bit paranoid however. He keeps criticizing everything to the point I doubt any government would ever satisfy him. To me that just makes him odd. Odd man with a lot of criticism for the government. And that is my biggest beef with him. He doesn't really spell out what he thinks would work. He just complains about what is or what was. Or, maybe he thinks we should just wander the earth without a government at all. The way mankind is, we'd all be dead within a few months. Humans are killers. They need checks and balances.

I admit it. I simply like Dr Chomsky's no nonsense and honest approach to politics, both nationally and globally. In this, "How the World Works", Dr Chomsky is true to form and discusses the reality that lays behind the teleprompters and soundbites. Regardless of your political leanings, it seems that nearly everyone of us knows that "something" is gravely wrong with not just America, but the World. We have become a rubberless ship on a stormy sea and rocks are becoming ever more dangeriously close. We've come to instinctively distrust government, politicans, and the ever croaching police state. Washington, it seems, no longer represents us, the Amereican People. Dr Chomsky allows us to glimpse the "Man behind the Curtain", or to be more accurate, those pulling the strings behind the curtain and explains in clear cut language what's happening to us as a nation.The 314 page book is basically a series of questions and answers as asked by David Barsamian, ranging from US Foreign Policy, poverty, and the CIA to the "War on Drugs", Latin America, the future of democracy in America and much more. Some of what Dr.Chomsky says you may agree with; some of it you may not; some of it might even make you angry, but all of it will make you think and question, which is the whole point. Dr. Chomsky is regarded as one the most important intellectuals in the world today; cited 8th of the most quoted authors, behind the Bible, Shakespeare, Plato, Aristotle, Marx, Lenin, and Sigmund Freud.I strongly urge anyone interested in US Foreign Policy, racial relations, poverty, the 'War on Drugs" or is simply concerned about America's future to read this book. It will at least get you thinking in a new way, and just perhaps, that will start you on your journey toward making a difference.

Chomsky is neither Left nor Right nor Center. He is neutral and speaks truth to power. He reveals truths that are hard to hear. His books should be required reading by High School, not excluded from curriculums.