2 ms·

> He also routinely cites "the archives," and every single time I've checked the source he's referencing his grossly misstating things (if I'm feeling generous)

> He also routinely cites "the archives," and every single time I've checked the source he's referencing his grossly misstating things (if I'm feeling generous). Can you give an example? I've never found a gross misstatement when checking his citations.

ch4s3 3y ago
As an example he claimed in 2022 that in 1970 Soviet Citizens could access the BBC, citing historical records of broadcasts in Russian. He neglected to mention that the Soviet government jammed the signal. This is just one example.
- foobarqux 3y ago
  "However, jamming was never totally effective, and listening to the [BBC‘s] Russian Service as well as other Western broadcasters had, by the 1970s, become a ubiquitous phenomenon among the Soviet urban intelligentsia." “a Harvard University study in the mid-1970s estimated that 28 million people in the Soviet Union tuned in [to US-funded VoA] at least once a week.’” Far from a "gross misstatement". https://fair.org/home/factchecking-the-factchecker-on-chomsky-russia-and-media-access/ https://fair.org/home/factchecking-the-factchecker-on-chomsk...
  - ch4s3 3y ago
    He was technically correct that some could, but it was obvious that he meant the USSR allowed it, which was a lie. This is a dumb argument.
    - foobarqux 3y ago
      The point he was making was that 1970s Soviet Russians had more access to information in practice than Americans today, which has nothing to do with whether or not Russia allowed it. I don't think "both countries tried to censor but only the US was successful at it" is the gotcha you think it is. On another note I don't know exactly what you are trying to say in your top-level comment; Chomsky has said "when [Lenin] became the leader he didn't waste much time and Trotsky helped him in instituting a uh a pretty repressive regime which wasn't Stalinism but all the basic elements of Stalinism". Is that what you are referring to? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s
      - ch4s3 3y ago
        He tried to make that incorrect point by lying, because Chomsky lies constantly. He only turned around on Lenin because the archives proved he was full of shit.

ch4s3 3y ago

As an example he claimed in 2022 that in 1970 Soviet Citizens could access the BBC, citing historical records of broadcasts in Russian. He neglected to mention that the Soviet government jammed the signal. This is just one example.

foobarqux 3y ago
"However, jamming was never totally effective, and listening to the [BBC‘s] Russian Service as well as other Western broadcasters had, by the 1970s, become a ubiquitous phenomenon among the Soviet urban intelligentsia." “a Harvard University study in the mid-1970s estimated that 28 million people in the Soviet Union tuned in [to US-funded VoA] at least once a week.’” Far from a "gross misstatement". https://fair.org/home/factchecking-the-factchecker-on-chomsky-russia-and-media-access/ https://fair.org/home/factchecking-the-factchecker-on-chomsk...
- ch4s3 3y ago
  He was technically correct that some could, but it was obvious that he meant the USSR allowed it, which was a lie. This is a dumb argument.
  - foobarqux 3y ago
    The point he was making was that 1970s Soviet Russians had more access to information in practice than Americans today, which has nothing to do with whether or not Russia allowed it. I don't think "both countries tried to censor but only the US was successful at it" is the gotcha you think it is. On another note I don't know exactly what you are trying to say in your top-level comment; Chomsky has said "when [Lenin] became the leader he didn't waste much time and Trotsky helped him in instituting a uh a pretty repressive regime which wasn't Stalinism but all the basic elements of Stalinism". Is that what you are referring to? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s
    - ch4s3 3y ago
      He tried to make that incorrect point by lying, because Chomsky lies constantly. He only turned around on Lenin because the archives proved he was full of shit.