Noam Chomsky interview at a Vancouver Peace Rally, 3/20/2004

[anonymity11]

The fact that Chomsky keeps repeating over and over again that the population is opposed to the policy and the powerful ignore it just shows how powerless Chomsky is. It shows how over and over again we are opposed yet we still cannot do anything about it. Protests are now like a routine from the p.o.v. of govt. “Alright let’s get this over with, get the police, media, etc.,etc. Let the people express whatever they want to say, but don’t think that they can do anything about it.”

[CyberFad]

@anonymity11 Protest is everything! it brings to attention the issues that are being silenced or neglected in the mass media. It makes people question what's happening outside their tv, what's with the noise ? etc..

Never give up !!!!

yeah and don't forget to visit ll 350 org ll for info on how to contribute to fight global warming !

[VanceJoudrey]

@anonymity11 Protests are the reason that they didn't go nuclear in Vietnam, some former Nixon officials said. I think that not having dropped a nuclear bomb during that war is very significant and that's just ONE thing. To pick another, after they troop level reached 500k, they couldn't send more because the Pentagon said they needed it for potential "domestic control" - so they couldn't escalate more. So what you say is the opposite of the truth in a huge way.

[anonymity11]

@VanceJoudrey I guess it is a matter of circumstance and how serious the people in it are. I refered to protests as a routine, something that govts. are accustomed to. That is true in certain cases, like there is a trend nowadays for people to join protests for romantic recreation and for no serious reasons. Though sometimes there are real issues, the people protesting are serious, and it has huge impacts. Also keep in mind that power quickly adapts to things, so you always have to be varied.

[metalshredder09]

@anonymity11

I can see why people get this impression, but this is not at all what he is saying. You should watch his 1988 interview with Bill Moyers, where he makes the distinction between public opposition to policy and active, organized dissent. The two are quite different. The latter has a much greater effect on those in power.

[metalshredder09]

@anonymity11

I can see why you get this impression, but his argument is more nuanced than that. You should watch his 1988 interview with Bill Moyers, where he makes the distinction between simple opposition to policy (like responding to a poll) and ACTIVE, ORGANIZED dissent. The two are quite different in their effect. The latter has a much greater effect on people in power.

[anonymity11]

Chomsky says that things have changed because there are protests as opposed to in the past, but I don't think that means much. So now you can protest, so what? What is protesting going to do. If it really did something then power wouldn't allow it. Protest is now the new thing which power uses to turn the focus away from something more meaningful, though what that could be I don’t know. Protest is a nice gesture but I don’t think it solves much. cont.

[ScaredPiglet]

chomp is a nagging old fart

[tomheppy]

chomsky is such a cool guy

[trend2transhumanism]

You've got to hand it to him for keeping it real at the anti-war demonstration--doing an interview and stepping waayyyyyyyy out of his norms and roles. His great contributions—spending every waking moment writing, reading, giving talks, etc.—I don't think have included these kinds of rallies since the Vietnam war of aggression yet he's putting himself out there and being a fucking hero; stepping out into the public arena in a way no one else can or does in the English-speaking world.

[YuriKenobi]

Dude in the background will be getting lots of good shots of Chomsky's back!