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Chomsky: The U.S. behaves nothing like a democracy (2013)

10 points by arjun27 10y ago

maxharris 10y ago
The title (and quite probably the article) confuses a democratic process used in elections, which is sensible and fair, with pure unlimited democracy (wherein a majority can order up anything, ranging from murder to "free" teddy bears, so long as 50% + some epsilon decide to vote for it.)
kutkloon7 10y ago
I have to say I agree very much with Chomsky's view on the US foreign policies. They are absolutely appalling, and very egoistic (see for example en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731#American_grant_of_immunity). No other country think it has the right to drone other countries citizens; America even thinks it does the right thing when they do it. This is very well demonstrated by Clinton's quote "Can't we just drone this guy [Assange]?", which was not meant as a joke at all (if you're having a problem with this, imagine that some country would drone a US citizen; this would be absolutely unheard of). This is probably a result of massive propaganda. In every US series or movie, arab countries are portrayed as hateful terrorist nest, in a subtle or less subtle way. The US has a tradition of glorifying war and US soldiers, while ignoring the politics of the conflict. "Returning to the United States, where the situation is not quite that bad, there’s the same disparity between public opinion and policy on a very wide range of issues. Take for example the issue of minimum wage. The one view is that the minimum wage ought to be indexed to the cost of living and high enough to prevent falling below the poverty line. Eighty percent of the public support that and forty percent of the wealthy. What’s the minimum wage? Going down, way below these levels." I would say the situation is much better in Western Europe, so I don't understand why he states that the US does better on this respect. The two-party political system just doesn't work. In the last elections, the Democratic officials favoured Clinton, which might have worked against them in the long run. This is btw exactly what Nixon stimulated, and what he has resigned for. As a result, the US voters were forced to choose between two candidates between two candidates, which both have proven to have no troubles with dirty policies.
jgalt212 10y ago
Noam loves to criticize American policy. In fact, it's been his raison d'etre for the last forty years. That being said, in most every example of US "bad" behavior all other nations seem to be behaving worse. And yet this person who doesn't believe in American exceptionalism, seems to hold us to a higher standard. His father, however, did believe in American exceptionalism when he fled the Ukraine (like many other Jews and others of all religions) for a better life in America. He's an ingrate.

10 points by arjun27 10y ago

The title (and quite probably the article) confuses a democratic process used in elections, which is sensible and fair, with pure unlimited democracy (wherein a majority can order up anything, ranging from murder to "free" teddy bears, so long as 50% + some epsilon decide to vote for it.)

kutkloon7 10y ago

I have to say I agree very much with Chomsky's view on the US foreign policies. They are absolutely appalling, and very egoistic (see for example en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731#American_grant_of_immunity). No other country think it has the right to drone other countries citizens; America even thinks it does the right thing when they do it. This is very well demonstrated by Clinton's quote "Can't we just drone this guy [Assange]?", which was not meant as a joke at all (if you're having a problem with this, imagine that some country would drone a US citizen; this would be absolutely unheard of). This is probably a result of massive propaganda. In every US series or movie, arab countries are portrayed as hateful terrorist nest, in a subtle or less subtle way. The US has a tradition of glorifying war and US soldiers, while ignoring the politics of the conflict. "Returning to the United States, where the situation is not quite that bad, there’s the same disparity between public opinion and policy on a very wide range of issues. Take for example the issue of minimum wage. The one view is that the minimum wage ought to be indexed to the cost of living and high enough to prevent falling below the poverty line. Eighty percent of the public support that and forty percent of the wealthy. What’s the minimum wage? Going down, way below these levels." I would say the situation is much better in Western Europe, so I don't understand why he states that the US does better on this respect. The two-party political system just doesn't work. In the last elections, the Democratic officials favoured Clinton, which might have worked against them in the long run. This is btw exactly what Nixon stimulated, and what he has resigned for. As a result, the US voters were forced to choose between two candidates between two candidates, which both have proven to have no troubles with dirty policies.

jgalt212 10y ago

Noam loves to criticize American policy. In fact, it's been his raison d'etre for the last forty years. That being said, in most every example of US "bad" behavior all other nations seem to be behaving worse. And yet this person who doesn't believe in American exceptionalism, seems to hold us to a higher standard. His father, however, did believe in American exceptionalism when he fled the Ukraine (like many other Jews and others of all religions) for a better life in America. He's an ingrate.