Search - Noam Chomsky :: New War on Terrorism

Chomsky's history puts "War On Terrorism" in perspective

John Tittler | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 02/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chomsky has once again pointed out what the corporate media cannot. He once again searches the papers for yesterday's leaks that become tomorrows excuses. He puts the information together tactfully and orderly so that the listener can understand the timeline. He discusses the US governments past involvement in Afghanistan and what exactly is happening now. He does this all with some of his trademark, VERY DRY, humor. A good listen and a great value."

As usual: intelligent

Timothy P. Scanlon | Hyattsville, MDUSA | 01/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We hear constant diatribes against "terrorists" especially since after 9/11 (though some of that rhetoric started a long time ago.) But doesn't such a thing have a context? Also, should we not be asking WHY the terrorists do what they do? That's something of which Dubya isn't capable--any more than he is of running a state or country.Dr. Chomsky does just that. He starts with admitting the severity of 9/11. Surely there are some Chomsky critics who'll say that he defends those responsible for 9/11. Nonsense. His underlying premise is that the event was perhaps the worst instant crime outside of war EVER. (He stresses later the word "instant." There are countless other examples of longer term and more devestating terrorist actions. The only example on which he elaborates is the US campaign that destroyed Nicaragua, perhaps beyond repair.)He attempts to define terrorism, that is something done against US, whoever "US" may be. His example of that "logic" is among the worst mass murderers in history, the Nazis. They weren't terrorists. They were defending their charge from the terrorism of the partisans. A portion of his presentation that borders on humorous is that, even after a prima facie case that bin Laden was responsible for 9/11, all they had was a prima facie case. He declares that they could probably have done better without intelligence agencies! What's more, what these agencies were looking for should have ben easy to find. After all, the CIA trained bin Laden and various other killers during the Soviet's Afghanistan campain!It's almost hard not to go on here as this is such a valuable analysis. But I'll finish with Chomsky's important act, of asking why 9/11 and similar acts occur. Conventional wisdom--even that proclaimed confidently by ostensibly left-leaning columnists, is that Al Quaeda and similar groups resent us because we're just the height of liberty, democracy...you know, the type of stuff you'd find in grade school American history texts. But the facts show particularly that there are US troops right by Islam's holiest grounds. That encouraged me to consider how the US would have reacted if Soviet troops had encamped in, say, the Vatican, or Canterbury. This is an important presentation to get people to think beyond the "norm" which is hopelessly shallow and encourages more jingoist flag waving--and hatred from the rest of the world."