Chomsky interview with Michael Dranove: On Fromm's Alienation of Man (5/6)

[obaidCarkey]

for god's sake; show some respect for chomsky!

get a haircut and arrange some better audio equipment!

just because you are interviewing a scientist does not mean you can show up in your pyjamas and act like you're at home!

[doggiesteigger]

Chomsky is god

[iankyoko]

No, not yet. I have been interested in the anarchist movement which has a rich past. I have come across some of the anarchist thinkers and writers.

Fromm is in the tradition of anarchism. So is Chomsky who calls himself an anarchist.

I am about to read a book that Chomsky suggested is a good start. It is Howard Zinn - People's History of the United States.

[madjicien]

@iankyoko

Fromm is not and has never been an anarchist! He was representing the frankfort school with Adorno, Marcuse... They were more into a post marxist thinking which is by the way very interesting!

Sory for my English

[madjicien]

@iankyoko

Fromm has never been an anarchist! He was representing at the begining of his life the frankfort school with Adorno, Marcuse... They were more into a post marxist thinking which is by the way very interesting! If you want to read about anachism you should look around Bakounine, Kropotkine or Proudhon for the classics. Rudolf Rocker is also a very important author for the anarco syndicalism mouvement (chomsky is often refering to him).

[madjicien]

@iankyoko

Fromm has never been an anarchist! He was representing at the begining of his life the frankfort school with Adorno, Marcuse... They were more into a post marxist thinking which is by the way very interesting! If you want to read about anachism you should look around Bakounine, Kropotkine or Proudhon for the classics. Rudolf Rocker is also a very important author for the anarco syndicalism mouvement (chomsky is often refering to him).

Sory for my English but I am not good enought

[gabrielg01]

The question was about the 'alienation of man' - a philosophy question, and then he goes on a generic rant about capitalism. Basically, any question you will ask Chomsky, he will answer you with a rant against capitalism. Why did the dinosaurs go extinct?...It must have been some capitalist government, who else?

FYI - In all societies, which are in line with Chomsky's vision (Finland, Sweden, Denmark etc.), people suffer from similar alienation. They have a higher suicide rate than the USA.

[PavedStones]

@gabrielg01 Well, the concept of the alienation of man is very often tied to Marxian thought so in this case one could say this was appropriate... and this guy is not at all a Scandinavia-type social democrat, you aren't familiar with his works and ideas

[iankyoko]

I'd love to read a book about that period after World War 2 when the public had become radical and when programs were instigated to pull the public into obedience. And also when suburbanization was instituted. Does anyone know of any books that discuss this time?

I have read A Sane Society. What a classic!

[xjtbarnesx]

@iankyoko Did you ever find any good recommendations? I'm similarly interested.

[madjicien]

@xjtbarnesx The best book as an introduction to anarchism I can recommand might be L'anarchisme of Daniel Guérin (french) but I don't know if it's translated!

[weaponx1a]

Unfortunaly, Norm, doesn't actually explain the theory of alienation, as it applies to todays' US. "Suburbanization of America, it began with a literal conspiracy...One of the consequences, is what Fromm, called alienation." ... "I live in one."

So you've chosen to alienate yourself then? Circular reasoning, reflecting on conscious distain for ones own existence. Appalling to those of us with the constitution of truth.

[lindmusik]

Erich Fromm's book is a very interesting read. Recommended!

[Diosibundo]

@lindmusik

Really! I just discovered Fromm from Blumenthal mention in "Republican Gomorrah", I read "Escape From Freedom", "Man For Himself", "The Art of Loving" and am now reading "Anatomy fo Human Destructiveness", all in the past month! He's amazing

[overmind25]

LOL!

[studio7manga]

I always get depressed listening to these interviews. If only he wasn't so right all the time...

I'm personally very glad I live in the inner city myself. I'd never live in a suburb.

[workingclasssociety]

@studio7manga Living in the city you are dependent on others for food. If you live in the burbs or rural and know how to cultivate land and use it for it's resources.

Learn how to grow your own food

[MarxBakuninMe]

Noam Chomsky and Erich Fromm . . . omg I am in nerd heaven. Cheers for the upload.

[FleshMob]

@MarxBakuninMe

Hahahaha, yeah! :) Me too.

I love Fromm, especially "Escape from freedom"!

[Diosibundo]

@FleshMob

Yep! Have you read his "Anatomy fo Human Destructiveness"? Really good as well! Captures the whole Teabagger movement beautifully!

[FleshMob]

@Diosibundo I haven't read that although I have it.

I read few books about the same concepts but as fiction.

Check out book from Viktor Peljevin and Michel Houellebecq.

Nothing can be more actual then Fromm today!

[Diosibundo]

@FleshMob

Yep. How about "The Sane Society"?

And what fiction books are you talking about that deal with the same topics? I'll check them out!

[homesickalien64]

wow, a big find in my life was reading Erich Fromm, chomsky and Fromm have easily been probably the biggest influence in my life, thanks you very much for posting this

[BayerLexan]

Not only are there few, if any organizations, forming them is made impossible by having to work so much of your life just to survive. Leaves little time to do much else.

[KentAllard]

the same happened in Australia, except Melbourne. The trams were brand new which disqualified the too expensive to replace argument and then later the tram conductors union was very militant. Perth has a single remaining line, Sydney built one line for the 2000 olympics but refuses to do more, Brisbane has plans to build a line on the Gold Coast.

Melbourne has the worst suburban sprawl & freeway madness despite the tram network, guess they decided to just expand outside its reach.

[KentAllard]

they could build apartment buildings, within strict guidelines to make sure they're not those awful highrises from the '60s, and amenities closer to the city where theres the trains and even closer the trams, but instead they rezone what was previously farmland or undeveloped bushland thats a 2 hour drive away from the city

[tarnopol]

Funny -- I just read Fromm's book, and actually wanted to ask Chomsky about it.

[vktrsx]

"The slogan of the labor movement is 'solidarity,' and the opposite of solidarity is alienation."

Which is why I say, "anti-union is anti-human."

[asmodeus585]

How do you know alienation isn't just a constant part of human existence? Was there ever a time when people were more free than they are at the moment? Unions aren't about solidarity - they are about egoistic desires of their members. Each union cares only about itself. For instance, in Poland, when nurses do a strike, they don't care about teachers and vice-versa. When one group gets some benefits, it hits the other groups.

Unions are as selfish as individual human beings.