Chomsky On Obama's Foreign Policy, 1.13.09 (1/2)

CSU Northridge Student Julia Riber Pitt conducted an interview with Prof. Noam Chomsky, about the likely direction of Obama's foreign policy. It took place on 1.13.09 in his office at MIT, Cambridge, MA.

Transcript available at http://heyhollywood.blogspot.com/2009/02/chomsky-interview-transcript.html


Recorded and edited by Charngchi Way

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Noam
• Chomsky
• Julia
• Riber
• Pitt
• Obama
• Foreign
• Policy
• interview

[Ecothearcy]

why the stupid hippie music intro, and then the fawning interview. why not ask him, how is u, the most important intellectual in the usa , hasnt changed anything in 30 years. its worse than 68. what have ud done except continue to identify the government as the problem meanwhile never once examining in detail the money economics behind the government, which is permanent, while all the obamas rotate in and out, lieing?

[Chomskyan]

Obviously you haven't read anything he has written in the past 30 years. He has constantly made the link between private concentrations of capital and policy. In fact he has said exactly what you said, that

"In the US, the political system is a very marginal affair. There are two parties, so-called, but they're really factions of the same party, the Business Party. Both represent some range of business interests." -- feb. 1990 interview with Adam Jones

[Ecothearcy]

as an aide, but its 80 % talk on the actions of the evil puppets, every president is bad, for so and so reasons, (he's right) but verylittle aalysis of the underlying economic structure except in general terms, and consistenly pro Un , as it that would be an adequate replacement for the evils of the us. if chonsky did not exist, the corporations would have to invent him. as he says, this is institutional economics, not conspiracy.

[Chomskyan]

Can you cite a source on this 80% of the talks? Is it your imagination?

It's true he primarily focuses on US foreign policy, because it happens to be quite destructive and urgent, and something the wider public can curb without having to be completely radicalized. But certainly he has talked extensively about the economic connections, and wider social change, possibilities for a more participatory society, his libertarian socialism, etc. Maybe you should take a wider sample.

[Nickalispicalis]

Chomsky is amazing. Extremely open. Will talk to anyone at anytime.

[drgoodvibesxxx]

common sense, what a great idea. Noam Chomsky you are so mono-tone so smart and so right. god love ya

[QRF11B]

@Chomskyan Do you think for yourself or are so besotted with the blathering of an MIT professor of linguistics? Don't bother replying or blocking me, I already blocked you.

[SmokiSounds]

Chomsky just chilling with his hot chocolate.

[bluegreen1138]

Chomsky of President 

[Tippersnore]

The US mainstream media's lack of interest in Chomsky is a testament to the danger his views and knowledge of facts pose to centers of wealth and power.

[noobler9]

there was SOME critique by the generals pre-invasion on the matters that were mostly ignored, but if these sorts of things are kept up only the most incompetent of ruling groups will continue to ignore them, it's been proven time and time again

when america was mostly divided between "no war" and "completely support war and everything related to it"

it had already screwed up, a switch to "how should the war be carried out" should have happened

israel shouldn't have existed, but shouldn't die now

[noobler9]

comparing iraq to stalingrad is stupid, the key matter is that the way the iraq war was held was a strategic blunder, as it made strife more common

a well excecuted mission would have removed saddam and set iraq onto a better reformative state, but to be honest, I didn't see it happening with a half-assed attempt at it

this is the problem of democracy at times, well representative democracy anyways

people like noam chomsky don't give good critique so the warhawks have no constructive criticism

[noobler9]

that hack noam chompsky never does anything useful it seems, screws around with hatred of israel and complains that obama when claiming to want to be a diplomat, obama doesn't step on many toes at once

hurrdurrr great one

I can see why public television wouldn't want to hear him

not surprising since he has NO understanding of human political history as far as I'VE seen him in his videos

I'm glad he points out specific things in such great detail, but he lacks an overall understanding

[MichaelRMcCoy]

Or more widely recognized as simply a fairy tale -- and by and large, the bewildered herd buys it.

Lock, stock and barrel -- hook, line and sinker.

[MichaelRMcCoy]

By any sensible, judicious measure and assessment of the vast body of evidence surrounding any policy of, or action by Israel, (most notabley, the so-called "Israeli - Palestinian conflict"), the information managers are obedient, subservient puppets of Israel's Zionist criminal cabal.

Necessary in disputing this reality, is a meticulous, acrobatic dance of cherry-picking only key aspects within that body, and grossly exaggerating or outright ignoring countless, contradictory facts.