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The older I get the more interesting and sensible Chomsky gets. Until a few years ago I was perceiving him as boring and monotone and now I am seeing a fierce w

The older I get the more interesting and sensible Chomsky gets. Until a few years ago I was perceiving him as boring and monotone and now I am seeing a fierce warrior of truth* holding language as his weapon. This 9 min. excerpt on propaganda terms in the Media is especially appropriate. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vmoXze-Higc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vmoXze-Higc *I don't mean some objective truth out there but a viewpoint which is rooted in his very well informed worldview and his obvious commitment to integrity.

fsloth 10y ago
I wonder what aspect of Chomsky makes him uninteresting. Maybe it's that his message - trying to point out the human flaws of his governmemt - goes so much against the grain of hollywood aided propaganda that people presume it's either minute details or just wrong?
- lazaroclapp 10y ago
  In my experience, the only country in which Chomsky is seen as uninteresting or nitpicking is in the U.S. That's not to say there are no complexities to whether or not a Pax Americana is better than the alternative (based on previous U.S. govts.), or that all governments records are equivalent when it comes to propaganda or human rights (for their own citizens). But no other country sees the U.S. unequivocally as "the good guys". A few see it as "the less-bad guys", but plenty of countries in Latin America saw the U.S.S.R. as "the less-bad guys" by comparison too.
  - saiya-jin 10y ago
    > But no other country sees the U.S. unequivocally as "the good guys". well you would have to be a complete ignorant to last 60 years of history and present to consider US the good guys. Economically strong police state with more innocent blood on their hands for last 20 years than any other state in this world. Axis of evil my ass
    - seppin 10y ago
      putting aside the simplistic rhetoric, who are the "good guys" then ?
      - lazaroclapp 10y ago
        Some people can be very moral, very amoral or very immoral. All countries and all governments are made of a mix of all three. To judge nations by the standards of individuals you would need to declare them all schizophrenic. "Good guys" live in comic books, not history books. Again, not saying that making attempts to legally commit and then follow through with principles on the part of nations is a bad thing. I am a constructivist, I think nations can "improve morally". But is more a matter of which nation has the best institutions to curb their own (or each other's) abuses in practice, rather than anyone being "the good guys".
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- andrei_says_ 10y ago
  What made it difficult for me to sustain focus while listening to him was his near-monotone delivery. But now I almost appreciate it.
  - seppin 10y ago
    i'm not there yet
starik36 10y ago
I have gone the opposite direction on him. I think the turning point was the debate with Dershowitz on Israeli/Arab problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ux4JU_sbB0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ux4JU_sbB0 He seems to speak in broad generalities, rather than getting down into the details. I've reached a point where I need to hear the down and gritty rather than airy statements.
- fit2rule 10y ago
  You simply need to listen to more Chomsky. That debate may not have had enough details - such is the nature of the format of the debate - but if one investigates Chomsky further, it is clear that the man lived his life in the details. His position, I believe, is formulated precisely on understanding the details and facts of the situation - it has been his life work to uncover the truth.
  - starik36 10y ago
    Can you suggest a debate where he does get into details of things?
    - baursak 10y ago
      Are you looking specifically for debates? Otherwise, I'd recommend reading "Understanding Power", which has ~450 pages of footnotes alone, to the point where they are not included in the book and published as a separate downloadable PDF: http://www.understandingpower.com/ http://www.understandingpower.com/ Other than that, this ones seems to go into details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wFDvTBHys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wFDvTBHys
- RodericDay 10y ago
  For what it's worth, I think Chomsky blew Dershowitz out of the water. As did Norman Finkelstein in his own showdown with Dershowitz.
  - starik36 10y ago
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gizmo 10y ago
I think that Chomsky has to have a very bland delivery, because the same message delivered with a more impassioned style would make him seem unhinged by the casual observer.
- qntty 10y ago
  I remember him saying that his delivery style was very deliberately chosen by him, although he didn't say why.
  - ikeyany 10y ago
    Because he convinces with his points, not by trying to pander to emotions.
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    [deleted]
baursak 10y ago
Same here. His speeches and books are indeed pretty monotonous, but his interviews are much better. "Understanding Power" is probably the best Chomsky book, and it wasn't written by Chomsky. It's just a collection of transcribed town-hall style meetings with Chomsky, and is truly eye opening. Regarding media, I think this one is by far the best compilation of Chomsky excerpts, and I highly recommend watching it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPp69gKVe9o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPp69gKVe9o The inevitable day of his death will be a huge loss to the world.

fsloth 10y ago

I wonder what aspect of Chomsky makes him uninteresting. Maybe it's that his message - trying to point out the human flaws of his governmemt - goes so much against the grain of hollywood aided propaganda that people presume it's either minute details or just wrong?

lazaroclapp 10y ago
In my experience, the only country in which Chomsky is seen as uninteresting or nitpicking is in the U.S. That's not to say there are no complexities to whether or not a Pax Americana is better than the alternative (based on previous U.S. govts.), or that all governments records are equivalent when it comes to propaganda or human rights (for their own citizens). But no other country sees the U.S. unequivocally as "the good guys". A few see it as "the less-bad guys", but plenty of countries in Latin America saw the U.S.S.R. as "the less-bad guys" by comparison too.
- saiya-jin 10y ago
  > But no other country sees the U.S. unequivocally as "the good guys". well you would have to be a complete ignorant to last 60 years of history and present to consider US the good guys. Economically strong police state with more innocent blood on their hands for last 20 years than any other state in this world. Axis of evil my ass
  - seppin 10y ago
    putting aside the simplistic rhetoric, who are the "good guys" then ?
    - lazaroclapp 10y ago
      Some people can be very moral, very amoral or very immoral. All countries and all governments are made of a mix of all three. To judge nations by the standards of individuals you would need to declare them all schizophrenic. "Good guys" live in comic books, not history books. Again, not saying that making attempts to legally commit and then follow through with principles on the part of nations is a bad thing. I am a constructivist, I think nations can "improve morally". But is more a matter of which nation has the best institutions to curb their own (or each other's) abuses in practice, rather than anyone being "the good guys".
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
andrei_says_ 10y ago
What made it difficult for me to sustain focus while listening to him was his near-monotone delivery. But now I almost appreciate it.
- seppin 10y ago
  i'm not there yet

starik36 10y ago

I have gone the opposite direction on him. I think the turning point was the debate with Dershowitz on Israeli/Arab problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ux4JU_sbB0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ux4JU_sbB0 He seems to speak in broad generalities, rather than getting down into the details. I've reached a point where I need to hear the down and gritty rather than airy statements.

fit2rule 10y ago
You simply need to listen to more Chomsky. That debate may not have had enough details - such is the nature of the format of the debate - but if one investigates Chomsky further, it is clear that the man lived his life in the details. His position, I believe, is formulated precisely on understanding the details and facts of the situation - it has been his life work to uncover the truth.
- starik36 10y ago
  Can you suggest a debate where he does get into details of things?
  - baursak 10y ago
    Are you looking specifically for debates? Otherwise, I'd recommend reading "Understanding Power", which has ~450 pages of footnotes alone, to the point where they are not included in the book and published as a separate downloadable PDF: http://www.understandingpower.com/ http://www.understandingpower.com/ Other than that, this ones seems to go into details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wFDvTBHys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wFDvTBHys
RodericDay 10y ago
For what it's worth, I think Chomsky blew Dershowitz out of the water. As did Norman Finkelstein in his own showdown with Dershowitz.
- starik36 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

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gizmo 10y ago

I think that Chomsky has to have a very bland delivery, because the same message delivered with a more impassioned style would make him seem unhinged by the casual observer.

qntty 10y ago
I remember him saying that his delivery style was very deliberately chosen by him, although he didn't say why.
- ikeyany 10y ago
  Because he convinces with his points, not by trying to pander to emotions.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]

baursak 10y ago

Same here. His speeches and books are indeed pretty monotonous, but his interviews are much better. "Understanding Power" is probably the best Chomsky book, and it wasn't written by Chomsky. It's just a collection of transcribed town-hall style meetings with Chomsky, and is truly eye opening. Regarding media, I think this one is by far the best compilation of Chomsky excerpts, and I highly recommend watching it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPp69gKVe9o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPp69gKVe9o The inevitable day of his death will be a huge loss to the world.