Noam Chomsky - UCL Rickman Godlee Lecture 2011

[towneslives]

gee whizz this fella's a smarty pants

[horbergus]

Miss California needs to listen to this

[imitatex]

This man is without doubt on of the most brilliant minds of our time. Just brilliant. I love his straight forward views of the world politics and interstate relations. Hat off to you sir!

[blackcreekghost]

I'm starting a new country with Chomsky as the leader, any joiners?

[gunnerfan87]

@blackcreekghost

Sign me up

[infiniteinfiniteinfi]

@blackcreekghost I'm starting a new country without any leaders, any joiners? ;)

[WoodsnaM]

Dear Mr Chomsky, you broke my heart. How can you express such views on Global Warming. I think you should have a beer with Mr Piers Corbyn or Lord Monckton, or if you don't have the time for these then even just visit co2science . com. P.S. I love you nonetheless

[xdeliriumtripx]

@WoodsnaM You mean the logical views about global warming? The view that we are fucking everything up? lol

[WoodsnaM]

@xdeliriumtripx There's no doubt in me that we're fucking the environment up, but through carbon emissions? I guess only time will tell on this one, but I do not support the carbon tax and cap and trade business as it is another fake capitalist enterprise of higher profits and higher taxes, along with holding back development in 3rd world economies. It is a complete and utter con that is doing nothing in the way of carbon emissions anyway.

[WoodsnaM]

@xdeliriumtripx Also, global average temperatures have been gradually declining since 2005 despite greenhouse gases increasing manifold. More scientists are expressing their discontents with the theories and scare tactics used by the media. What about large climate variations even in the last 2000 years? Medieval Warm Period for one. What about the scientific theory that earth's climate variations are driven more by the sun and moon? I just find myself in a lot of doubt :S

[WoodsnaM]

@xdeliriumtripx Notice how the media changed the name from 'global warming' to 'climate change'. Its as bad as the word 'terrorism', you can accuse anyone and everyone of terrorism as in the same way you can blame any extreme weather event on 'climate change' When global temperatures start going back down it is now called climate change...

[ZephonTLucifer]

THIS man is my IDOL. I am not ashamed to say that. Just such an asset to humanity.

[roqaia]

thanks for uploading

[Beligerentt1]

@Laxer1313 good to see that you enjoy Noam. He is one of the greats of our times.

[keatsblake100]

In my point of view we should be wary of intellectuals like Chomsky. He is a great talent in language and linguistics, but why should he tell us how we ought to live our lives? He wants sweeping, radical social and political change, as did Marx and Lenin. Look where that got the world.

[UselessOpinion]

@keatsblake100

Look at what the radical sociopolitical views and actions of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, et al. got us.

[leland61]

@keatsblake100 Silly person - he is not telling anyone "how we ought to live our lives", he is talking about the difference between fact based truths and fiction based nonsense.

[timetraveler2006]

@keatsblake100

Yeah so did Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Gandhi, Martin Luther King. And look where that got us. You're comparing Chomsky with dictators like Lenin. Marx was not a dictator.

Communism does not mean you give up your house. Stop listening to grumpy old soviet era men and actually read the books.

Thank you.

[Lukege15]

@keatsblake100 Quite simply, you are a fool.

[jookyle]

There dosen't happen to be an audio version does there?

[UCLTV]

@jookyle - There is. You can find it in two places - as an MP3 download on the UCL iTunesU channel (search for 'ucl chomsky' on iTunes) or on our Soundcloud channel. I have included the Soundloud link under the video above.

[jookyle]

@UCLTV Thank you so much!

[vicktrimethylene]

When is Noam going to Run for President?

[cadnewham]

since reading "failed states" ive been so interested in chomsky

[mrttwo]

Wow it's vary rare that you here an american actually say that JFK was not the hero that history makes him out to be.

[daophos]

@mrttwo It depends on the generation, I think. Most of my parents' generation give him a kind of pass due to the whole getting his head blown apart; also, he did work with a lot of pain. But that being said, I think less people see him as a 'great' president (certainly not Professor Chomsky!) or even a very good one.

[xdeliriumtripx]

@mrttwo Yea and he isn't the only one, all US presidents since WW2 and even many before could have been tried as war criminals according to the standards decided at Nuremberg after WW2 against the Nazis. But obviously they would never adopt the same standards on themselves because they are the 'leaders' and too hypocritical to do so.

[mrttwo]

@xdeliriumtripx Good point.

[commandersparrow]

I was at this lecture!

[7777neox]

@commandersparrow We will take your word for it :)))

[Laxer1313]

Just came across noam, (i'm a noob i know, but i'm 16 if that helps?) anyway, he's a boss...simply put. pure genius from what i can see.

[bridgepigeon]

@Laxer1313 Keep learning, you guys are our future...

[toseeornot2see]

@Laxer1313 Hey, at least you are listening to Chomsky at the age of 16. I knew of him when I was 16, but was too stupid to pay any attention till 3 years later. So in a way, you are a smarter 16 year old than I was.

[timetraveler2006]

@Laxer1313

good on you.

keep listening to him and read his books. do not forget to have your OWN judgements in there though- Chomsky himself would tell you that.

[Auraruth8]

@Laxer1313 Watch manufacturing consnent movie on google video there you can learn a little more on chomsky. =)

[TheRacistsMustDie]

@Laxer1313 A noob? You a baws. All I cared about at sixteen was tossing off, eating and music 'cause every time I wanted to start about politics the conversation fell silent.

You should check out Ha-Joon Chang, John N. Gray, Norman Finkelstein & Slavoj Žižek if you're interested in these kind of public intellectuals (last 2 are definitively not without controversy b.t.w.).

[s3m4jno5w4d]

@Laxer1313 he's been at this a long, long time. his books are amazing, heavy but amazing. this is also good, different but connected: youtube.com/watch?v=o0ghHia-M5­4

[kellygiz]

@Laxer1313 Wish I had discovered him when I was 16. Yay YouTube!

[Seedofwinter]

Wow, I've been learning so much from Noam over the past week. Mr Chompsky has granted me a whole new view on U.S policy

[theCount1968]

the interesting thing about chomsky is, right or wrong, he adds an entire new dimension to contemporary discourse, intelligent and one which should be discussed; what his detractors fail to see, in my experience, is that the world is shades of grey and that truly there is no 'right' answer in many regards. What Chomsky insists upon, is that we hold ourselves to the same standards as we do our 'opponents' and that moralistically, many of the things that go on in the world are indefensible...

[snackajack117]

The ultimate lesson of this is to ignore what the politicians say and examine instead what they do. Words are cheap.

[gobuddyboy]

Mr, Chomsky is the truth. 

[pabnaful]

this man is a planted hoax. he is part of false opposition. he knew very well that 911 was an inside job. elites give them the status of being intellectual so;  people like him could take advantage of people being ignorant and misguide them. there is no left and right. they are all on the same team.

[ytandyf84]

@pabnaful Chomsky has never, ever claimed to be part of the left -right spectrum, He is an anarchist and has stated countless times that he believes all power systems are inherently illegitimate and should be dismantled. So if the 'elites' have given him such status as you claim, why would they tolerate the man speaking out against them for the last 50 years?

[hrivethead]

@ytandyf84

True, a libertarian socialist, to be more specific.

[tstruss912]

@pabnaful "this man is a planted hoax. " I'm guessing you have as much "proof" for that as for 911 conspiracies.

[rafnezden1968]

@pabnaful YOU ARE A PLANTED MORON!

[workingclasslass]

When will the masses rise up and see through the propaganda,manipulation and exploitation of the few wealthy elites ?

They are the enemy and we do not need them !

No war but class war !

[MichaelStepkoff]

'Freedom' is not a word one will find often in the Bible. 'Wisdom' is a better word. If you know what is good for you, read Proverbs, not Chomsky or the American Constitution. The Constitution is immoral, Chomsky is long-winded, but Proverbs simply teaches wisdom to anyone who would learn it.

[MichaelStepkoff]

What is the imagination nation?

The answer is biblical, I'm sure.

[MichaelStepkoff]

Politics so boring. World is evil. Me like poetry, no kidding.

[MichaelStepkoff]

Chomsky fights debates and he lectures others; he dominates conversation. He is a sort of imperialist, always confident, never a doubt about himself. He uses his reason and fact machine to outmuscle slower thinkers or those who can't absorb information as well as himself. And, right or wrong, that is that.

[MichaelStepkoff]

Chomsky fights debates and he lectures others; he dominates conversation. He is a sort of imperialist, always confident, never a doubt about himself.

[yossysuparyo]

great master

[puffinonindo]

this guy is a genius but not a very exciting speaker.

[5150zombie]

@puffinonindo look at micheal moore. I'm not saying he's a bad guy, but he has an agenda and knows how to work media to get people on his side the same way the other side does. I think chomsky just talks because he's done the research and looks at things collectively and logically. Just my opinion, I would say too that he's pretty old.

[RPFS2008]

"and when the system inevitably crashes, they can run to the nanny state for a taxpayer bailout, clutching their copies of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman"

I hope that this was a humourous attempt to point out the hypocrisy of the corporatists and 'freemarket' advocates who run to the government for bailouts. Hayek and Friedman were dead against government help for big business.

You can never tell if Chomsky is telling a joke. He's so deadpan

[votumseparatum1]

@MrBloograss Don't insult the man. Have you seen her kids? They are so damn ghetto and have NO manners at all, even for toddlers.

[SuperDickweed]

Many chickens are against omlets. Bagak!!!

[homontohomonto]

I do agree with everything Chomsky proclaims, BUT- with one exception- why does he say that 'too big to fail' go to government for help clutching copies of Milton Friedman?!?!!? He supported neither intervention nor regulation by government. I'd say Chomsky is a 100% accurate in describing the global hegemony and deception of the U.S, but he should not go into economics! I bet Friedman would be flabbergasted to hear what type of outlook is being ascribed to him :O

[MrBeautifulmountain]

@homontohomonto

Chomsky is implying that Friedman's economics is good for propaganda and not much else. I.e. he is suggesting that banks, corporations etc use Friedman's ideas to justify low taxes on themselves and cutting social safety nets for normal people, but then hypocritically set his ideas to one side the moment they want subsidies, bailouts, or other forms of government intervention.

[letsmakeapoint]

@MrBeautifulmountain No, he supports public intervention and aid, not private industry.

[MrBeautifulmountain]

@letsmakeapoint : If by 'he' you mean Chomsky, you are correct. However, you need to bear in mind that Chomsky is an anarchist. I.e. when he endorses state regulation of corporations, he is endorsing this as a short term policy. If he endorsed state regulation of the economy in the long term, he would have to endorse the state, which is contrary to anarchism. He wants state regulation of corporations until we get enough democracy to end the control of the economy by a tiny elite.

[MrBeautifulmountain]

Chomsky is implying that Friedman's economics is good for propaganda and not much else. I.e. he is suggesting that banks, corporations etc use Friedman's ideas to justify low taxes on themselves and cutting social safety nets for normal people, but then hypocritically set his ideas to one side the moment they want subsidies, bailouts, or other forms of government intervention.

[MrBeautifulmountain]

Chomsky is implying that Friedman's economics is good for propaganda and not much else. I.e. he is suggesting that banks, corporations etc use Friedman's ideas to justify low taxes on themselves and cutting social safety nets for normal people, but then hypocritically set his ideas to one side the moment they want subsidies, bailouts, or other forms of government intervention.

[PurpleHoneyBear]

@MrBeautifulmountain Wow, that is exactly what I've been trying to sort out in my mind. That's why Ron Paul, sincere as he may be, is actually having a deleterious effect on the country. He was in large part responsible for the beginning of the Tea Party movement, which has now become a powerful political element in Washington. Tax cuts for the rich, slanderous propaganda against the poor for daring to request their Social Security not be wiped off the books.

[MrBeautifulmountain]

@PurpleHoneyBear I think Ron Paul is generally quite principled and sincere. The problem is his naïve right-libertarian faith in free markets. Genuine right-libertarians, by which I mean those who apply the principles consistently as opposed to applying them in the way described by Chomsky, have an honorable distrust of 'big government', which they worry will descend into totalitarianism. Their solution is to propose a minimal state.

[MrBeautifulmountain]

@PurpleHoneyBear What they fail to realize is that when you refrain from regulating corporations, this frees them up to convert their economic wealth into political power. That is, free markets and ‘small government’ leads to unregulated ‘big corporations’, which use their power to take over the state and eliminate the free markets that right-libertarians hold so dear.

[MrBeautifulmountain]

@PurpleHoneyBear What we need, at least as a short term goal, is a government which will regulate corporations, replace plutocracy with democracy at the level of economic policy, and yet which is constitutionally restrained from interfering with people’s social liberties. In other words, we need to free people, not corporations.

[dappercad]

@TheDrunkenTrooper If the civil rights movement and the women's movements aren't very important to you then yea, the 50's were great.

[hazan1951]

Unbelivable how this man is lieing striat to face.

He needs to seek for help. second thought - it's too late.

I feel sorry for him.

[unfortunatebeam]

@hazan1951 you feel sorry for whom? what the hell are you talking about or referring to? It just seems like you don't know very much.

[JessAtlas]

@hazan1951 That's the spirit! somebody says something you disagree with, don't address their points, just dismiss them as insane and move on!

[JonnyCashmore]

@hazan1951 why? Explain your thoughts. Or do you just not have anything to say? Or to uneducated to form an opinion?

[TheDrunkenTrooper]

how did we ever let things get this bad? I have a hatred for America I can't stand them greedy bullying Basterds. they won't stop until they have complete control of the earth and all it's resources but I have to keep reminding myself that they are the lesser of 3 evils at the very least America has to been seen to be telling the truth and doing the right thing. if Russia or china had Americas power it would be a very different story at least I can type these words legally and freely

[mrbrianmoran]

@TheDrunkenTrooper Do you think that if America had been invaded and almost completely destroyed (as Russia has from Napoleon to Hitler) it would have the same freedoms..Im not sure but I think Its an important question.The freedoms in America are significant ,but only existed in a small window of time(around the 50s).From a russian or chineese perspective you have to admit they would be baffled to see a nation built on 300 years of slavery and extermination call itself "the land of the free"

[givebirthathome]

@mrbrianmoran Only if the Russians or Chinese were hypocritical, as both those countries dominated and suppressed indigenous ethnic minorities and had slavery. The difference is that, indeed, the bulk of the population of the US was quite free in world historical terms--to read uncensored newspapers, to own guns, to have public trials, to follow the religion of their choice, to be free of arbitrary police searches, not at all just in a small window around the 50's.

[brianmoran1973]

@givebirthathome Of course the chineese and Russians would be as hypocritical as anyone.I dont think The US has a large window of freedoms,slavery and ethnic cleansing take up a large portion of its history .with wealth comes the illusion of freedom (or exceptionalism)for the immediate benificaries as in rome or the Brittish empire.I feel that a population under less threat will behave more humanely,and I think it has been a pitfall of the powerful to believe they posess a superior ideology

[givebirthathome]

@brianmoran1973 Yes, a population under less threat will behave more humanely.

[boychildnew1]

Noam, dear friend, please stop referring to the UK/Britain as just "England". Adam Smith's comments then, as a Scot, referred to the whole of the UK.You make THIS Scot cringe every time you say only England. Otherwise, here's tae ye!

[JonnyCashmore]

@boychildnew1 Oh cram it! No one gives a fuck about Scotland/England/Ireland/Wales bullshit. Yet another group of people that can't quite seem to stop acting like a bunch of fucking 5 year olds. Cram your weak shit in your ass. There are no borders. There is no race. You guys still fighting Catholics vs Protestants?......no different than Sikh vs Sunni. If "Scotland" hadn't bothered trying to rape and kill everyone in "England" from 600 ad to 800 ad, it would have been a different game.

[bluefly28]

they want america to be hated. to use it as an example of what happens when they give us freedom, just watch america will fall

[string22]

01:09:50 Austerity is not what lead to the great depression... read Murray rothbards book on the depression

[SUpersaiyajinjerkbag]

@string22

2 things:

A: Rothbard is not a great economist

B: Rothbard's book on the great depression sucked

[PurpleHoneyBear]

Why is it that Rothbard is deified among right wing so-called "libertarians"?

[SUpersaiyajinjerkbag]

@PurpleHoneyBear

because he wrote a really bad book criticising the New Deal

[string22]

01:09:03 '' more broad based movement against austerity '' ... the UK 10 year yield is 3.75%.. wait until it gets near 8%.. the cuts are going to have to get much deeper.. unless your happy to go bankrupt

[string22]

01:07:35 trying to blame the free market for the recession. in reality banks were only able to lever up because of an easy CENTRAL bank, government institutions were some of the largest buyers of mortgage debt and government policy including the fha encouraged home ownership at teaser rates

[string22]

0:59:16 '' no economic contribution ''.. any idea what would happen if they didn't provide liquidity to markets?.. manipulation.. volatility etc

0:59:27 '' can make risky transactions ''.. why? free money from the government from 0% interest rates, high rates would curtail risk, once again government is the problem not the free market/capitalism/wall street

0:59:40 '' clutching Hayek and Friedman '' .. who actually promote no government intervention.. not bailouts!

[grahammatthew]

Professor, if you were coming to UCL, why oh why didn't you come to my department to talk about LINGUISTICS?

A dissapointed UCL Linguistics student

[WESTAZTEC]

Go to AWAREOFTRUTH. COM--for an alternative view.

[hollandc42]

@WESTAZTEC your blog has nothing to do with what Prof Chomsky is addressing. Blather about the same geographic locations and some of the same people does not equate to an alternative to historical illumination. If you mean to state that your views are simply alternative in general well then I don't suggest touting them amongst the lectures of the worlds leading intellectuals as they are not intellectual but emotitive. Good luck on your forum your ideas will only become more succinct keep going

[datazndood]

I know the dislike commenting is getting old, but how can people frown on getting educated? Not to mention from one of the most humble intellectuals in this world!

[beev7]

At least give Chomsky a chair! Hes too old to be standing!

[jaguarandi2]

"for quite sound reasons"

[MoKillaGorilla]

Noam needs a red bull and a gallon of ayosaca

[tarnopol]

For those that are interested, the Q&A starts at 1:08:00.

[jumpoutatree]

He's gettin chubby, which I guess is actually a sign of good health when you reach his age. Good for him.

[monkeymagic544576]

so, erm, people, what AREwe going to do about the society we live in? hhhmmm, nothing, lets have a debate on youtube with the "ultra-intellectuals" (or at least you try to be). Fuck, I read 3 pages of comments, people saying one thing, other, albeit clueless, people spouting in response (I love chomski, I'd suck chomski's thingy, he's the greatest, followed swiftly with, he did not defend libya). let's go out and do something about this!!! obviously we like him, thats why we watched this vid

[stoprainingonme]

@monkeymagic544576 "let's go out and do something about this!!!" You're absolutely right of course, instead of having "a debate on youtube with 'ultra-intellectuals'". But you now have to suggest exactly WHAT people should be doing. Mass protests outside the White House and various embassies (Israeli, British, Saudi, for instance)? BTW: I'm from New Zealand so I don't know what I can do, although I'm open to suggestions.

Cheers

[raptorkiller2k5]

@monkeymagic544576. Well, I'm in Australia, at the moment, so I'm open to suggestions. We should be mobilizing with fellow workers and promote revolution. I think big changes can happen. 

[monkeymagic544576]

@raptorkiller2k5 I hear Australia is changing laws quickly aswell, you can correct me if I'm wrong but is it true that you are no longer aloud to have topless girls (or perhaps even porn actresses) who don't have, or have very little breasts due to the fact that it could incite peadophilia in men who are not "yet" that way. I hope it's false, but the way things are changing, I'm not sure. ps, I'm currently living in France but yeah, we need to do something, here we protest, changes nothing.

[gonzoplatter]

@raptorkiller2k5 take a look at the recent developments in Spain mate - week of 19 May 2011...things are happening...I for one agree with you...battle apathy, overcome cultural, race, gender, class lines, and unite...cheers!

[sandite26]

My god... who's the one clown that would dislike what this man has to say? Chomsky has been labelled as "the conscience of America"...

[gunnerfan87]

This man's intellect is unparallelled. If I could sacrifice my own life, so that Chomsky would gain eternal life, I'd do it in an instant. His intellect and ability to see beyond the propaganda will never be replaced.

It's an honour to live in your time Professor Chomsky.

[gunnerfan87]

@VictoryCough

Better study political science, watch his videos and read some of his book you airhead before rendering your opinion. If you're so confident, go and debate Chomsky. You'll be obliterated in seconds. And wanting this man to have eternal life is not a"cult". It's a recogntion of his wisdom and the fact that he will never be replaced.

Now go watch some Ann Coulter.

[tstruss912]

@VictoryCough "I'm an actual anarchist," How are things up there on your pony? There are many different forms of anarchism and they're all "real". You can come down from the pony now.

[RPShredow]

why dont people stay the fuck home when they have a cold. shouldn't have to listen to them coughing and hacking the whole time.

[RevoIutionz]

when does he speak about libya??



[bfoaliali]

Chomsky looks really good in this lecture. Sexy man. I have never seen him wear a sweater PLUS a nice jacket.

[jjgfun]

@bfoaliali Hahaha, he is also wearing a tie... He never wears ties! Maybe he's dating :)

[MegaContented]

truth hurts.

[xenoargh]

1. I love how I provided factual and accurate arguments, without any cursing or derogatory statements, and with only 2K views, somebody found time to censor my comments. This is the "democracy" of the True Left.

2. I dispute the idea that "Chomsky NEVER supported Qadaffi". This is actually quite false. Chomsky has always defended Libya, claiming that it was just a convenient scapegoat for the West, not the horrible regime it has shown itself to be. Listen to his old lectures...

[owenhunt]

@xenoargh Sure he defended Libya... He is quite fond of America too... just not the government that presides over it's policies.

[MrSocialDemocrat]

@xenoargh I've listened to his talks where he refers to Libya. He *clearly* defends Libya's right not to be a victim of US hegemonic activities in the region. By confusing Chomsky's anti- US Imperialism stance with a pro-Qadaffi one, you show yourself to be totally irrational.

[xenoargh]

@MrSocialDemocrat : Since when do the "rights" of tyrants supercede the rights of humans to live under regimes that are decent and just? Since when should the U.S. have to be apologetic about defending liberty?

[irh196]

@xenoargh I'm sure Chomsky would agree with you. Unfortunately "defending liberty" isn't what drives US foreign policy, as Chomsky repeatedly shows.

[jjgfun]

@xenoargh Thats why I like facebook... You can only like things :)

[philippejacob]

Cont:

It would save use one or two centuries of mediocrity from ill intentioned clueless people.

[philippejacob]

Why don't we get more people like Chomsky influencing world politics, it would save us one or two centuries of ill intentioned guidance from uniA llkplm

[Zabeson]

He is not here, or ever has defended the widely held opinion that a nuclear armed Iran would make things safer for people in the middle east. He's just stating that FACT. The reason is to highlight how American intervention to prop up hated dictators is harmful to the interests of the American public (but tend to work in the interests of wealthy elites). Everything you, Xenoargh, has said is a distortion.

[xenoargh]

@Zabeson 18:13-18:52 "if public opinion were to influence policy, the United States would not only not control the region, but it would be expelled from it". And, "in general, support for democracy is the province of ideologists and propagandists". Coming from one of Qaddafi's apologists, that's rich.

The very Pew poll he drew that 'fact' from is largely contradicted by other results in that poll and elsewhere, as well.

[endstation2]

@xenoargh

Wrong. EVERY poll shows that the US is the most hated country in the arab world. Also, Chomsky NEVER supported Qadaffi. Please don't lie.

[smithy2306]

@endstation2 Actually the U.S. is probably the most hated country outside the U.S. itself! I know fuck all people who agree with the U.S. what so ever. The U.S. used to be a country to look up to, now its a country to steer clear of.

[jjgfun]

@endstation2 Actually, Israel is the most hated country in the Arab world.

[LBRTRN89]

@endstation2 the US in the 2nd most hated country in the Arab world; you are forgetting about Israel

[buzzin1975]

@endstation2 Arab world? Try the whole world!

[Zabeson]

@xenoargh I still don't see what evidence you have that Chomsky is an apologist for Qaddafi. He is traditionally opposed to tyranny whatever form it may take, so while I haven't heard him speak about Qaddafi specifically, I would assume he would oppose the regime. He is an opponent of American intervention, because powerful states don't intervene out of benevolence, but instead to advance their own interests. Don't mistake opposition to intervention for support of the dictator.

[xenoargh]

@Zabeson: Don't kid yourself. Read Chomsky's past statements in re: North Vietnam (who committed countless atrocities), Cambodia (Pol Pot, need we say anything more), and then further in defense of Libya (in the 1980's he gave multiple speeches defending Qaddafi, again at least two of these are on YouTube).

Most of Chomsky's past defense of totalitarian states that claimed to be Leftist are either public records or easily available via Google. Educate yourselves- this is a foul creature.

[theH0UNDSofD00M]

@xenoargh How about when The US gov helped and funded Pol Pot and his country Cambodia because they were being attacked by the N.Vietnamese? Chomsky never "defended" any state What does that mean anyway defended? If Gaddafi ordered a the bombing of a airliner over the UK, so did the US allowed Posada Carilles to blow up a Cuban airliner, killing 200 and odd people.

[xenoargh]

Chomsky has been an apologist for the Libyans, the Venezuelans (he's been invited to hang out with Chavez's thugs multiple times) and is now trying to change the subject back to the Israeli / Palestinian problems, just after the Palestinians committed an awful atrocity. How he gets away with this is a mystery- he's no better than the guys who apologized for Pol Pot or Stalin. Look up his speeches on these topics, most of it's on YouTube. His credibility is nil.

[xenoargh]

He spends nearly 5 minutes defending the Arab street opinion that Iranians armed with nukes would "make things safer". He quotes Adam Smith at this protectionist best, and then has the gall to describe the economy of the early 19th Century as "state-guided". He then claims that we own Canada (ask any Canadian- we certainly don't) and lauds Mohammed Ali (who, for all of the good things he attempted, was a very poor economic planner, and put Egypt deeply into debt). Such amazing distortions.

[ManhattanProject9]

@xenoargh

Ask any Canadian. How about instead of asking any Canadian we compare the UN voting record of Canada and the United States instead of asking any Canadian. What you will find is that Canada acts exactly as we say because they have to. They are our number 1 trading partner (more then Mexico or China).

This is why Canada went along with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. But find me a Canadian that says otherwise and I guess i'll just take his word for it...

[bfoaliali]

@ManhattanProject9 I agree with you, and I am a Canadian. Most Canadians are not happy about this, but when did a government actually care about its population?

[patago71]

@ManhattanProject9 Are you sure Canada went along with the war in Iraq? I might be wrong but I believe the Prime Minister at the time- Jean Chretien publicly refused time and time again not to support it. On the other hand Afghanistan is another story and evidently a never ending one for decades and centuries to come.

[ManhattanProject9]

@patago71

Your right actually, that was a factual error on my part. However, it's worth noting that Stephen Harper thought that Canada should be fighting along with the United States at the time. So we can trust that Canada will probably go along with the US as long as he's in power.

[scorchedearthdj]

@ManhattanProject9 Canada did not go along with the war in Iraq. Afghanistan? Yes. Iraq? No.

[AntillRS]

@xenoargh His credibility is recognised by the worlds leading scholars, and has been for years. He applies the same satandards to the US. as IT does to its 'enemies'. He recognises the crimes of the USA & the west before focussing on others for far more minor offences. If you dont like the conclusions you reach from using this evenhanded way of looking at the world, just say so. Dont try to defame the man by lying through your teeth.

[AndrewMann552]

"Feasible to boycott Israeli goods," the problem with that is that the US will continue supporting Israel financially. When Honduras was blockaded by all of Latin America in 2009 following the military coup, the regime (of a country much poorer than Israel) survived on pure US support.

[mjd1982]

@AndrewMann552 The US provides 3bn/yr in military aid to Israel. Propping up its entire economy is a totally different proposition and not something the US is in any position to do

[AndrewMann552]

@mjd1982 And you expect the EU and Canada not to help out the Israeli state as well? The whole world is not going to boycott Israel. One sad difference is that South Africa didn't hold any sort of religious, symbolic power in Western societies.