When Elites Fail, Part One

[alhazmif]

good speech..

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Great, but I am still a little dubious as to whether you understand what "externalities" are.

[IllicitGreen]

@repatternthis need a better hobby, stop presiding over your own ignoble sense of righteousness. And with regard to Noam chomksy, hes a MIT professor, wtf r u, i definitely take his side over yours even if you proclaim that hes wrong in this specific statement, fukn corporate apologist fa****

[IllicitGreen]

@repatternthis the only thing i need to know to comment in the instance is that you derive self satisfaction by pointing out the fallacies of other peoples arguments, which is clear by your comment history, and this prompts me to describe your own failings. i cant speak to them all but one alone should suffice: why do you spend so much time on youtube engaging in these pointless debates? who cares if your right? the only thing it suggests, because it dosent prove anything to anyone, is that you

[toseeornot2see]

Frankly speaking, you can choose to indulge in more idiocy or come to terms with facts. I mean, this whole thing is becoming really stupid and I do not wish to take part in such idiocy any longer.

You can choose to, if you wish. You do seem to have a penchant for these sort of things and I wouldn't be surprised if you wish to further indulge in this stupidity.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis The point was not whether Bauman is right or not. The point was that I gave you a proper reference, instead of "pulling things out of thin air".

You seem to concur that corporations behave unethically and live on taxpayer dollars. Yet you seem to condemn factory workers for "theft", from someone that you have accepted as committing an even bigger pilferage.

[IllicitGreen]

pointless online debates satisfying personal conceptions of superiority. Unfortunately the fervent argumentation serves only to appease ones own false perception of egomania, and will remain fundamentally incapable of convincing the contending individual that one is right as opposed to the other. Perhaps some random onlookers to the interaction will be influenced one way or the other but those involved will infact become more adamant in support of their original viewpoints. awasteoftimeforall

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis I wish to pursue the subject you mentioned, that is why I asked you to elaborate.

Just to give you an example, I could just have easily said something like "social forms and institutions have no longer enough time to solidify and cannot serve as frames of reference for human actions", without actually making the effort to explain what I meant or telling you that I just lifted a passage from one of Zymunt Bauman's works.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Also, like I have said before, it is not because that all businessmen and CEOs are genuinely evil. it's because they work for institutions that have no moral obligations that they are able to do things that they do.

Also, I can only elaborate what I say to the extent that the character limit allows me, on youtube.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis It's great that you are such an independent person and I commend you for that.

It's interesting that you do not consider some of the highest paid men on earth as part of the elite class.

In terms of relevance to the issue, you haven't done much. Also, just to address your other contention, I have worked for corporations and businesses- something that I don't plan to do for life. I know how authoritative they can be and how callous the entire system is.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis BTW, the elites are not as smart as you think. Anyone who has any understanding of recent events would tell you that. I have gone through great lengths to explain to you just how CEOs make a killing by relying on subsidies, tax payer money, etc. You still seem to not include this in your definition of theft. GM, US Steel, JP Morgan, AIG are just some of the many who rob people and yet you seem more sympathetic towards them.

[toseeornot2see]

After reading your comments, I can only say that you are merely going around in circles and repeating the same thing over and over. I have given you sources and you can read 'em if you like.

It's great that you have been through a lot of hardships in life and made something out of yourself, but clearly, that is not the story with everyone else and you need to look beyond yourself to understand these things.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Judging by your comment, I can see that you mentioned joint stock trusts and insurance pool syndicates without really understanding any of it. Everything I have said so far, I have properly elaborated. I can't say the same about you, except for maybe concepts relating to grammar - which is irrelevant to our discussion.

[toseeornot2see]

BTW, I would love to hear you talk a little about "joint stock trusts of seafaring countries and insurance pool syndicates". Please, do edify me on this particular matter, my dear scholar.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Were you not claiming before that you have read Plato, Locke, Solon, etc. etc.? So you weren't claiming to be "highly learned"?

Anyway, coming back to the main issue. The problem with objectivism is that it does not take into account the fact that an individual's success is dependent on family, financial backing, schooling, their social circle, govt. support etc. It is not entirely true that an individual is successful purely based on their own abilities.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis To address your notion of corporations having a responsibility to earn profits and limit liability, one only needs to go back to my earliest comment. I'll repeat it for you. The law that you speak of is largely delineated by the elite class and does not represent a majority - i.e. is anti-democratic. Hence to say that corps are required by law to trample over people is not a very defense.

You can check up on this by reading Thomas Fergusson, Howard Zinn, etc.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Well, sadly, for someone who purports to be highly learned, you do not understand the ] state capitalist societies much. Like I said,corporations rely on taxpayer dollars and intense lobbying to survive and yet not required to have any social responsibilities.

Noam and I believe that the workers who shed blood and tears to making a living have more claim to a property than an abstract entity like a corporation.

[toseeornot2see]

Besides, your callousness towards the factory worker shows your inability to commiserate with other human beings...seriously, man. Lets leave aside our argument for a second and try to understand things from the point of view of the people who had their daily bread threatened. You don't think it's unfair to just take away someone's job like that? You don't see anything wrong with it?

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Great! You actually did some research. Well done! It wasn't that hard, huh?

Now, what you forgot to see is that the strikes were about protecting a community against the ruthless profiteering of a corporation. Secondly, I said no one making a false claim over anyone's property. The workers had a right to protect their livelihood and by occupying a factory they asserted their right - what else do you expect people to do? Accept their fate and starve themselves?

[boxermaf]

the illuminati are the elite and they hoard money so spread the wealth the meak shall inherit the earth! marx agrees so do we

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis I am sorry, but your contention lacks any clear focus and seems to be scattered all over the place.

Also, an argument which is illogical is referred to as being non-sequitur. You have looked at the literal translation, yet failed to grasp the concept. As always, your understanding of things is very facile.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Also, there was no one preventing the use of US steel's property or falsely claiming ownership of someone else's property. I don't know if you listened, but the factory was shutting down due to a lack of profits, while the workers were ready to buy over the factory and operate it. They used legal means necessary to do so.

And also, I don't know if you know the meaning of contempt, either.

Nice try, though. But it was a failure.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis WOW! Your latest comment just proved how good you are taking things off topic and changing the basis of discussion. Now, the wise thing to do would be to stop dodging the subject of discussion, instead of getting into frivolous discussions about fruits.

I am yet to see any "research" that your arguments rest upon. So far, all you have done is talk yourself up. It's not that impressive to hear about who inspired you, when your opinion, in relation to the topic, lack credence.

[toseeornot2see]

Also, you should have written: "Elementary, my dear Kiwite". I believe your knowledge of using commas is very egregious. But that's beside the point.

Also, I can only be led to assume that you are using the term "Kiwite" in a sardonic manner to ridicule my nationality. Quite frankly, that is very puerile.

Oh, and as for your argument about taxpayers benefiting from utility, I doubt that. I don't think any taxpayer really benefited from the recent bailouts.

[toseeornot2see]

Secondly, you have done well to utilize a dictionary and I commend you for that. But I still don't think what derogatory means.

Besides, you speak of flashmob thefts, looting, etc. but what does that have to do with the case on hand - i.e. US Steel? Again, for someone who likes to use the term "non-sequitur", I don't think you understand its meaning, because your arguments are so illogical and lack pertinence.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis

You have made some very interesting comments, but sadly, all they have done is convey your pretentiousness and obsession with minutia. I use the term minutia because you are more concerned with my grammar than the crux of my argument.

Again, your understanding of profits is merely limited to a deal between two parties and does not take into consideration external costs to society, which I have referred to before.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Also, I do not believe that you listened to Chomsky while he talked about ruthless pursuit of profits by large corporations and taxpayers having to pick up the costs. Is that not theft?

I have a feeling that you are going to argue the meaning of "theft" next...

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Also, you still have not explained what you mean by "mass theft".

Lastly, I don't think you know what "derogatory" means.

You are an interesting person because you claim to be so knowledgeable, yet don't know what you are talking about.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis And to address your question of whether the occupation of a factory by its workers is bound to fail is stupid. First of all, I don't know if you are aware, but there are other successful structures of doing business, other than having "an owner" and workers taking orders mindlessly.

Also, I don't know if you heard Chomsky, but he said that the worker's bid to take over was unsuccessful. If it had been granted, then we can only assume all the good things that would have happened.

[toseeornot2see]

Firstly, a casual observer would say that you're an idiot. However, after all the silly meanderings, you have understood what you really want to say. Interesting that it took so long.

Secondly, your such a contemptuous human being. i think you enjoy telling people how superior you are to them.

Third, the biological imperative you speak of also encompasses things like compassion and empathy and I hate to break it to you, but not everyone likes to trample others to "get to the top".

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Firstly, if you had ever read even one of Chomsky's books, you would know better than to say that he's delusional. Your arguments are very parochial and simple minded.

Second, please edify me as to how anarcho syndicalism or socialism are mass theft?

I basically provided a counter for each one of your arguments and since then you have been throwing personal insults my way .

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis WOW! I am reading your second comment and all I can think is "Garbage".

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis After reading your comment, I didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry...

I mean, who writes these sort of things?

If I were you, I would have gone and done some research, really. Clearly, you are one of those people who are too arrogant to accept gaps in their own knowledge.

You know, instead of writing a whole bunch of derogatory things, you could have actually googled something useful...

BTW, your work isn't so hectic anymore, huh?

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis I can see that you are trying very hard, after reading your comment.

I don't know whether I should encourage you to try harder or just give up, though.

maybe there is an advanced symbolic logic class you could take, buddy.

Good luck, mate

[toseeornot2see]

Right, so how long did it take for you to come up with that response? I mean, seriously, I forgot about this whole thing last week!

And again, if you really think you're actually making any progress, then I am sorry.

I have done my best to be as cogent with you as possible. I don't know why I am even bothering; a few weeks from now, you'll probably come up with another vexatious response with no substance.

All you have done so far is convince me that you have an average lexicon.

[Pommit]

@repatternthis I had a little read of your comments to the other posted. You can hardly criticise for using ad hominem argument when you feel you need to add comments of 'embarrassing'. Be fair.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis "The lack of novelty in your points of view have bored me to apathy."

The feeling is mutual.

As for your comment about "delusions of change". I don't know how you can say that, considering all the significant changes that the world has gone through because people took the initiative and they weren't motivated by profits.

Socialism is not collective theft, instead state capitalism is a few pilfering what should belong to everyone. 

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis I am not trying to be arrogant by saying that large corporations and their execs are doing many wrong things. What I am trying to say is that there are some very big structural problems in the system that we have. I mean, the role of big businesses is to make a buck - they don't have to even think about the consequences of what their actions are doing. If they had to, maybe they would think twice before doing some of the things they do. But currently, they don't have to.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Laws are influenced by coporations via a complex network that they have with elected representatives and parties. You can read Thomas Fergusson, he's a political scientist who has done extensive work on this area.

Again, i don't know if you are aware, but many laws that citizens in the US enjoy had to be fought for, via non-violent protests -again activism.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Also, in your earlier comment you had not clarified who you were referring to, in terms of investors. Now it seems that you have changed your position to create a whole new argument by mentioning US steel.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis To address your argument about majority not caring. Again, I maintain the position that people care, but that's if the truth gets to them. I don't know if you are aware, but large corporations spend millions of dollars on PR to hide facts. In fact, if you read Chomsky's manufacturing consent, you will see how ownership of corporate media by other corporations is used to hide or distort unpleasant facts - and that's just one example.

[toseeornot2see]

Like I said before, just like any other good thing, big businesses find a way to exploit it - just like they did with Fair Trade.

The mere fact that some of these 3rd world farmers are actually being recognized in itself is a big achievement.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis "BP shares lost approx. 30% of their value in the past 9 months in a sell off since nobody wants to hang around and collect on a P/E of -30.549. Negative thirty. " - If your "no one would buy theory" really was true, BP would have been out of business by now. You do realize that this isn't the only incident where a petrol company has harmed the environment, right?

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Again, you are only perpetuating the misconception that activists count for nothing and exists for nothing. I urge you to do research on this matter.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis First of all, I was only trying to state the fact by pointing out that you were throwing a volley of thoughts that weren't thought through properly, when I said that you were babbling on incoherently.

Secondly, you have taken the liberty to make all sorts of assumptions about me, in regards to my education, debt level, etc. I am assuming that was supposed to be some sort of a personal attack. Hence I called 'em ad hominem attacks.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Right, thank you for your sagely advice. I do wish that you had spent more time on doing research than contemplating ad hominem attacks.

I shall also look into the symbolic logic course that you have suggested - maybe that would help me understand your incoherent babble better.

Also, I wanted to write something in regards to the BP comment you made, but realized that there is no point in trying to oppose a thoughtless argument.

[toseeornot2see]

I might also add; the percentage of population that receives the most income in the united states is what 1% or less, yet they are responsible for policies that only lead to more inequality. So I don't see how your argument about activists being 20% is pertinent to the issue. Besides, I have a feeling that you just made that figure up.

[toseeornot2see]

Sorry, but everything you said sounds like incoherent babble.

Fair trade is being used to make a buck - just like many other things that protect workers in the 3rd world - , but activists have had to work hard to achieve it. I mean, indigenous farmers have been victims of volatile coffee market for decades. Fair trade protects them.

Secondly, median household income tells you nothing. There are people who have contributed profoundly to the world, but they don't make a fraction of CEO's do.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis "If non-investors are harmed, they won't buy" - if only things were that simple.

"Activists are a minority...are not successes" - that's not true, at all. In fact, there are large organizations run by them and are largely successful. The fact that you drink fair trade coffee is an example.

I am not sure if you understand what externalities are. In economics, the social harm of an activity is regarded as an externality. For example, pollution caused by fossil fuel plants.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis Well,your argument is predicated on the fact that investors and executives are the only members of society. That is clearly not so and hence what corporations are doing is unjustifiable because it brings harm to the environment and non-investors.

I don't agree with your argument that most people don't care about such things, as long as they make money. If that were the case, we wouldn't have activism and resistance towards corporations.

BTW, I am actually a business student.

[toseeornot2see]

@repatternthis He's actually stated many times that CEOs are essentially following their role, as required by law , to maximize profits for shareholders. But the important point to remember is that when the law is created and influenced by these very people, using it as an excuse is not a very good argument.

Actually, many people inside the business world would tell you the same, depending on how honest they are.

[nickbegnaud]

Yeah! Youngstown Ohio shout out!

[dezfortytwo]

Searched to FB post tomorrow--when the economy tanks! so -or so-called-prophetic!

revforall--

Its said that the wealthy do not feel 'safe' until they have at least 15 million. Thats the bottom rung, if that,of so called 'real wealth.

[reverenceforall]

Are we humans really so greedy that no matter how much money one has it is never enough? If I had earned enough for 10 generations would I really want to keep accumulating until I had more than anyone and everyone else in the world? I don't have much but I share whatever and whenever I can. Does being mega rich turn you into some thing less than human?

[fearlessway]

if Donald Duck said these things, I would like him too... Chomsky is a messenger, no need to attack him, if you can't attack his words and thoughts.

[MrPhotodoc]

2 Elites watched this.

[mcajade]

It would be so "democratic" to have this video subtitled...

[ZamolxisReborn]

@babayabadabadu i hope you continue to blissfully enjoy having your head stuck up your ass.

[ZamolxisReborn]

@babayabadabadu you kinda made my point, but let me be nice and spell it out for you:

you have no opinion of your own. you believe what you are told by authority figures. data and facts are not as important to you as your feelings. you care about seeming correct more than about being correct.

.

i see from your channel that you worship comsky, but blind faith doesn't make him right. he is one of the failed elites, and if we listened to him, we'd be worse off.

[ZamolxisReborn]

@babayabadabadu monkey see, monkey do,

and you're a moron, too.

.

got it?

[Alfred645]

At least there are some good people left.

[kelly980]

This talk was beautiful

[DrMannyMota]

if tea party uses chomsky to base polices - i want in - some one in tea party land check out my work here - MySpace com/ChomskyforPresident

[vrs195927]

It's sad only a few people are able to listen and realize what he is actually talking about, 90 % of the world is under hipnosis.

[75630KaraokeStar]

@vrs195927 Noam Chomsky could have some of the best talking points in the world but if his overall message is to promote the failed government system known as communism none of what he says will have any effect on people who appreciate being in a democracy despite it's shortcomings. The answer is to fix certain things in our democratic country not rid ourselves of democracy itself.

[75630KaraokeStar]

@75630KaraokeStar Nice post and I agree

[ZamolxisReborn]

this guy pulls "facts" and "data" and "polls" out of his ass.

go back to linguistics, and leave politics and policy to the professional liars--they also make up shit, but at least they're better at it.

[iggypopbowie77]

@ZamolxisReborn

God-Damn,you sure are a stupid shit -head.Better go and turn on your FOX NEWS again Sparkey!

[75630KaraokeStar]

@iggypopbowie77 It is this kind of attitude by many on the left that shows complete hypocrisy. You talk about the elitism of the right and yet it is you who name calls and acts superior with no real argument to those whose thinking does not fall in lock step with your own. All of you just mirror the idiocy of the ignorance our politicians show. How can we accomplish anything with all the venom showed to people with different thought processes than ourselves?

[Mueychacha]

@75630KaraokeStar the left/right debate is a fictional dichotomy created by the ruling class to keep the falsely educated masses (ie college grads) placated with unimportant political arguments on how to fix our "democracy" while they sit back and watch their monarchy flourish.

[Zooligable]

@ZamolxisReborn have you seen the piles of books Chomsky has and all of the files he gets from the govt under the Freedom of information act. Fuck you and your herd mentality.

[ZamolxisReborn]

@Zooligable says the brain-washed liberal.

buy a mirror.

(and some soap)

[chinopisces]

@ZamolxisReborn: You have no idea what you're talking about.

[ZamolxisReborn]

@chinopisces i go to MIT, and i've seen chomsky's lectures and speeches in person.

YOU have no idea what you're talking about. he's a genius in linguistics, but pretty much wrong about everything else.

[chinopisces]

@ZamolxisReborn: I don't care if you go to MIT, Harvard, or the School of Douchebags. For you to be completely incapable of recognizing his valid arguments and to vilify him using rhetoric places you in a position of obvious ignorance and non-credibility.

[ZamolxisReborn]

@chinopisces go read a book, come back when you know what you're talking about.

[87Nathanial]

@ZamolxisReborn Nice appeal to authority.

[ZamolxisReborn]

@87Nathanial well, thanks.

but isn't that the only reason why people outside linguistics listen to him at all?

he's great at linguistics, and somehow that's supposed to carry over to other issues, on which he IS NOT an expert.

and actually, he's just plain wrong. chomsky is not a politician, not an economist--he's a linguist. THE END.

[pvisserandorra]

Too busy arguing over tax cuts for the rich.

[zkmplayer]

I gained a lot of knowledge listening Chomsky. However, i am confused with his opinion about USA as the most free country in the world, because nobody can't be free as long as he enslaves the other. And, like in the most countries, you have just the illusion of democracy, while you are ruled by rich elite, who doesn't care about the other people. The same thing is in my country too.

[magazinestock]

great stuff

[RainmanCT]

this should be required viewing at every U.S. high school

[SillySantaHat]

@RainmanCT That's funny. You should be a stand up. The only thing important in high school is, you guessed it, FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!

[00ARYA00]

I wish/ hope & pray that barack has noam on  his short go to list

[Defsolid]

@00ARYA00 I'm afraid he isn't, president Obama's only exception to the rule of being US president is his skin color, just compare what he promised he would do, to the actual work his government has done so far.

[Bodhidharma1986]

Why would he? "Barack" is a fucking elite. The left and right hate this guy because he exposed the stupidity and fiction of the two-party system that we have in place. Chomsky states "corporate power dominates the executive system, therefore the executive system dominates the corporations, staffs all the major executive positions in the government (the presidency, finance, and intelligence), and owns all the media so they have to be the ones who impose necessary illusions". They own both parties

[betatalk357]

@Bodhidharma1986 That's one think we can thank Obama for. The "change" he's shown us is that he could do for American citizens, but the elite or progressive democrats erode or undermine the poor's attempt at making a true democratic society. And I think Chomsky's analogy of elections of present day only shows that people elect what real estate they'd like to keep, not one that they'd have to give up to the people is right on.

[Valdris1987]

how come only 9k views??

[ligerman30]

Chomsky should have ran for president long ago.

[bsjunior]

@ligerman30 ....the president? did you listen to what he says?

[TheAvidAnarchist]

dude I never fail. Im so 1337, i'm always pullin headshots, and 4shots mane. Just kidding :D

[ase010]

You know what is hardcore 'Elite"? To Respect, Love, Care & have Compassion for every living being or creature. To be responsible, that tho make not judge! That tho make not hurt others, like tho want being treated. That tho know them Self.

[CocteauDalighari]

@ase010 Too bad Chomsky don't know the difference betw. elite & elitist. Elite have all those qualities you state; elitists want people to think they have those qualities.

J. Robert Oppenheimer was an elite; Steven Pinker is an elitist.

[ase010]

Illusion is the control. Power is All.

[Tolstoievsky]

wow, Chimsky siding with Glenn Beck. That was painful to hear

[betatalk357]

@Tolstoievsky He isn't siding with Glenn Beck, he is just making points, backed up with evidence, about why Democrat progressives are just as bad as the corporate structure on society. The only difference is corporations want to own people for tax breaks and maximize profits; government wants to own people to increase their own power and subsidize people for government work/ projects to justify their needs for higher taxes and control the populace. That's no better than England.

[betatalk357]

@Tolstoievsky England taxes people 40% and institutes lots of stupid rules in order to fine people money. Then, the BBC, a supposedly "public and unbiased" television broadcast company, got exposed by former PM Tony Benn for being discriminatory to a particular disaster relief fund on behest of the Israelis. That's what you have to look forward to in England; CEOs here get away with murder. That's the difference.

[betatalk357]

@Tolstoievsky The only "change" that is happening in today's society is there's now a fight between control over the people and the "redistribution of wealth" or rationing people's money for the entire society while the rich keep the rest for themselves. Greedy corporations are fighting to keep the power; government wants to take it awau for themselves, and they're both trying to persuade the public to get behind them for their own insidious reasons.

[betatalk357]

Meanwhile, other countries are fighting for business, power, and ownership in and of America through the guise of Globalization, while the current corporations don't want their competition. The only upside to Globalization is that foreign companies looking to profit hire and treat American workers better than what they're currently getting. But, in any rate, there is a 90% chance the American people are doomed and doomed again and have only a 10% chance that the situation will get better.

[vanderbilt887]

Hugely important point at 24:00 - 25:00

[vanderbilt887]

O, and another one at 32:00 - 33:00

:-)

[Submmitted]

The American citizen and the rest of the world must be made aware that today a relatively small group of people are proclaiming its purposes to be the will of the People. That elitist approach to government must be repudiated. The youth and those conscience individuals should wake up and make change to this road of self destruction we're headed to. Chomsky is an intellectual for the people, not for the elitists.

[matt301273]

Thank god for Noam Chomsky. Along with Hicks and Carlin he is one of my heroes.

[seruppadi]

I hope you're being ironic (by invoking god), because all three of them are atheists.

[tophu1021]

I hope you're being sarcastic. Who should we thank? The flying spaghetti monster? Is that who created all Atheists?

[ohwotagiveaway]

@seruppadi Of course he was. He used a lowercase g.

[Perussaataja]

Chomsky happens to be agnostic.

[SillySantaHat]

@seruppadi Hicks was not an atheist by any stretch, but he certainly was not a Christian either. Just listen to the man speak. He thinks that there is something out there. Unfortunately this one thing is equal parts love, unity, and understanding.

[allmystuffhere]

Chomsky has had two bad quotes in his life...JFK and 9/11....other than that the guy is right on target with pretty much everything he talks about. Noam rocks and I consider myself a Chomskian poet.

[seruppadi]

I couldn't verify Chomsky's claim about women's suffrage; Wiki page puts Afghanistan at 1965 (which was revoked under the Taliban from 1996 to 2001, of course).

[Xephon212]

@seruppadi

Using wiki to verify Chomsky?

So much for the documentary historical record.

[seruppadi]

Wiki, at least in this case, is very well referenced. If you want to dispute its authenticity, please cite a better, 'more valid' source yourself.

It's ironic the way you put it. "verify Chomsky?" Even Chomsky won't appreciate that kind of tone -- where you make him some kind of unfaltering, always-reliable scholastic source. It's not the first time he's made an inaccurate claim.

I've verified with more than 5 women's suffrage resources. They all say the same thing. What about you?

[SillySantaHat]

@Xephon212 Wikipedia is a very valuable source if you know what you are doing with it. Thankfully most people don't feel the need to try to falsely modify a great deal of the articles there and certainly a great many of them have people that monitor them in order to keep them as close to the truth as possible. Of course, it is easy to just go along with everyone else and claim it to be inaccurate, simply because that is the consensus. Fuck the consensus!

[rring88]

When you get cited by Chomsky, you know you did something good.

[Xephon212]

@rring88 Not necessarily. Chomsky often cites some of humanities greatest opressors in order to illustrate his points.

[centurion180ad]

I totally agree, with the Professor Chomsky's characterization of Adam Smiths position.

Modern financial and multinational institutions /exactly/ correspond to Adam Smiths merchants & manufactures respectively.

The shift away from a money system during Adam Smiths time to an irredeemable debt system in modern times, makes it so.

[dunngar]

He is wealthy,he does have power..but if i were to classify Mr. Chomsky,i would call him an anti-elite.Now the reason i would, is because his influence is not trying to score him some points for a political office,or give him the power to move things with a gesture given to someone else.Thats how you know someones REAL powerful, when they don't even have to speak, and some servants go clean up their messes

Noam has criticized elites for decades now, people shouldn't attack him for being elitist

[Arkinight]

Thanks for proving my point tenfold.

[yanikv]

He is an elite. Something tells me that he has not eaten too much "bitter" in his own life.

[ADumbUsername]

He's an "elite" in the "intelectual elite" sense -> i.e. he is a professor at MIT, has written many books. However the elites being talked about here are those who have political power and the money which more or less equates to political power.

Re. "bitter" -If you read his work you will find that he is very upbeat both about the future and about the social progress which popular movements have achieved in his lifetime. He perceives that there are problems but believes that we are fixing them.

[yanikv]

He is an opportunist zionist who has made a living off of critiquing a land that continues to prop up his "elite" lifestyle.

His pattern of critique is not consistent which means he isnt a man of principal. He is just like those he writes about, only protected by the veil of intellectualism.

Chomsky = Fail

[Arkinight]

Notice how all of the criticisms of him generally fall under the same criteria you just outlined - that is, defamation and character attacks; not refutation of his analysis and research. Since you cannot disprove his work in any meaningful way you turn towards slander and personal assaults, therefore, we can clearly dismiss your comments as nothing more than ranting and raving from a jingoist fanatic.

[lordennis01]

I'm not entirely sure how that equates to jingoistic fantaticism (I can't see his last comment). I think the question of if he grew up in a privileged environment is a legitimate one. However, being attacked for this reason is quite silly. This I think is the epitome of envy and the cause of a great deal of suffering.

[Arkinight]

Well the comment that I was replying to did show this, at least in my opinion, you can disagree. And there was also another comment that he instantly made after I said "Thanks for proving my point tenfold" which was something along the lines of "thanks for eating the [something] out of my turds". So yeah, I'd say it's pretty close to "fanatic"; with the "jingoist" part being his absurd nationalist comments.

[Arkinight]

Here is the answer to your legitimate question, once again, has exactly zero bearing on his theories and positions.

/watch?v=vzANq3B01fo

[lordennis01]

I completely am in harmony with you with that comment, and with the clip you showed. I think that these questions have nothing to do with his theories and positions, but I never said it did. I just said it was a legitimate question that undoubtedly had an effect on his life. Your surroundings ,whether coercive or not, translates to biological functioning of your body. So I think it is a legitimate question, but one shouldn't overlook Chomsky's assertions. I think his fame is justified.

[claudelebel55]

@Arkinight that's called killing the messenger and you are right, they generally have no intelligent rebutals.

[claudelebel55]

@Arkinight that's called killing the messenger and you are right, they generally have no intelligent rebutals.

Here is a very interesting mini-documentary on forms of government

Types of Government Republic vs Democracy vs Oligarchy

[CackSlop666]

@Arkinight I finally found something to copy&paste to anyone/everyone who poorly attempts to defame Chomsky's near flawless execution of cited facts which are backed by his nearly universally acceptable morality. Thank you.

[ik999]

@ADumbUsername

your comments are too difficult to read as far as youtube comments fare

keep it up and I will report it as abuse

[ADumbUsername]

Too difficult to read? ...hmm

Buy glasses? Zoom in? Enrol in an adult literacy class?

[jakiner]

he's an elite because he's 100 times smarter than you'll ever be loser

[1ferg1]

is anyone else just searching "chomsky" "most recent" every few days? i wish he just lived in my house or something. he'd be the granddad i never had, as well as providing thought provoking political analysis

[dugfly]

Me, I do exactly that. What an awesome mind - shame people believe the mass media and not the mind of a genius.

[ashishClimb]

Been doing that since i've got introduced to his writings.

[TBROTB]

Yes!

[mrmc24]

cosign lol

[chrisocony]

haha i do that too, but maybe once every 3 or 4 weeks not days

[00ARYA00]

@1ferg1

ME TOO! I am seriously crushing on him.

[matt87n]

@1ferg1 haha thats exactly what i do! id have the dude over for dinner every single night

[KentAllard]

trying to talk to those nuts its pretty difficult, they're quite brainwashed.

[sweetness111983]

ive given up mostly, pick and choose