Noam Chomsky: The Iraq War -1/6

Noam Chomsky - arguably the most brilliant and the most intellectually honest geopolitical analyst alive today - describes the motivation, planning, execution, and consequences of the Iraq War initiated by the US Bush administation in 2002. This lecture was given at the University of Colorado in April, 2003.

PLEASE READ MY COMMENTS ON THE VIDEO BEFORE WATCHING.

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[mfatah281]

Can anyone please tell me when and this took place? Thanks.

[KashifHKhan]

@mfatah281 Please read the video description. It states clearly: "This lecture was given at the University of Colorado in April, 2003."

[KashifHKhan]

PART VII:

Finally, I can't resist commenting on the cynicism of US policy makers towards the intelligence of their own citizenry. Congress was told that the "financial benefits" of the war to the US would exceed "war costs". As Chomsky says, no one bothered pointing out that the costs of the invasion and subsequent occupation would be borne by the American tax payer while financial benefits (in the form of reconstruction projects, sale of goods, etc.) would go to corporations. Oh, well!

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART VI:

In terms of history, it is worth dwelling on the following Chomsky observations: (a) US supported Saddam right till the invasion of Kuwait despite his murderous track record, (b) US prevented an uprising against Saddam after first Iraq war by making Iraqis dependent on him for food (via extremely tough sanctions), and (c) key officials in Bush administration followed the same policy of controlling people with fear (of imaginary threats) as in Reagan and Bush 1 administrations.

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART V:

Among Muslims, the Iraq war confirmed that America's sole interests are in Arab oil and protecting Israeili security. I doubt if any proclamations or actions by the US can change that perception... at least for the next few generations. These perceptions will generate fierce Islamic militancy against US interests. The war also created major cynicism among Western citizens against democracy; governments (eg. UK) supported war despite massive opposition from their citizens.

-Kashif

[KashifHKhan]

PART IV:

The consequences of Iraq War are stunning for the US, Iraqi people, and the international community. The US (under Bush administration) lost all claims to global leadership. It began to be viewed as the greatest threat to world peace with governments being more concerned about unbridled use of American power than anything else. Iraq, of course, was decimated and will likely never recover as a country or a nation. Its standard of living has been reduced to 19th century levels.

-Kashif

[TheInfiniteMind]

The Unites States military is the worlds leading terrorist organisation by far bar none. Anyone with basic ethics can know and see that. Noam Chomsky speaks the truth. Many who hear his words are surprised- which just goes to show the extent of propoganda and conditioning in the West and how ignorant and thought controlled much of the population is.

Always know that everything that arises must cease , and the consequences of actions will always come back to the doer, in this life or the next.

[Azzabajam]

why are ratings disabled, surely this can only be 5 stars?

[Gurra88]

Why do (some) Americans say the troops protect their freedom? How does troops in Iraq protect freedom in the USA? Hussein had no links to neither 9/11 nor al Qaeda. Didn't the USA (and some other countries) arm the guy in ther first place? And then he's suddenly an evil dictator?

[aymanzonefly]

@KashifHKhan I disagree, as an Iraqi I can tell you that the main problem that is stunting economic growth in iraq are the Islamic terrorists. Stop the terrorists and Iraq will start to rapidly improve in all aspects. Our problem for those who are somewhat slow, is islamic terrorism. period.

[SalkinVictory]

@greyelf437 Wow, how amazing! Your father must be privileged!

[avidalocan]

Not being American, I had to laugh when a year or so after the war started, oil prices went insane and the people who voted for Bush were on the news at the gas station complaining about how expensive it was to fill up their Sea Doos.

[greyelf437]

And to think 30 years ago my father was his student...