World-renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky has been pushing change in language, politics and culture for decades. The controversial expert on modern language explains why "the smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum."
Bio
Larry Bensky
Larry Bensky is a literary and political journalist with more than forty years experience in both print and broadcast media, as well as a teacher and long-time political activist. He is well known for his work with Pacifica Radio station KPFA-FM in Berkeley, California, and for the many nationally-broadcast hearings he anchored for the Pacifica network.
A native of New York City, Bensky graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1954 and, with departmental honors, from Yale University, where he was managing editor of the Yale Daily News. He is married and has one daughter.
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky, a professor of linguistics and philosophy at MIT, is the author of numerous books on U.S. foreign policy, including American Power and the New Mandarins, Political Economy of Human Rights (two volumes, written with Edward Herman), Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel, and the Palestinians, and Pirates and Emperors, Old and New: International Terrorism in the Real World. His most recent books are Failed States and Perilous Power.
(born Dec. 7, 1928, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.) U.S. linguist, philosopher, and political activist. He received a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1955, the same year he joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Chomsky takes the proper object of study for linguistics to be the mentally represented grammars that constitute the native speaker's knowledge of his language and the biologically innate language faculty, or “universal grammar,” that enables the developmentally normal language learner, as a child, to construct a grammar of the language to which he is exposed. For Chomsky, the ultimate goal of linguistic science is to develop a theory of universal grammar that provides a descriptively adequate grammar for any natural language given only the kind of “primary linguistic data” available in the social environments of children. This imperative has motivated the gradual refinement of Chomskyan linguistic theory from the early transformational grammar of the 1950s and '60s to the Minimalist Program of the 1990s and beyond. A self-described libertarian socialist, Chomsky has written numerous books and lectured widely on what he considers the antidemocratic character of American capitalism and its pernicious influence on the country's politics and foreign policy, mass media, and academic and intellectual culture. See alsogenerative grammar.
Yea, that just about nails it SNS... except for the part where Chomsky never shouts at the top of his lungs (if you've actually listened to the video, which I assume you haven't), uses completely logical analysis, doesn't ever fabricate evidence (in fact sources it unbelieveably well if you've ever read his books, which I assume you haven't).. And moral declamation? You could say that about anyone who ever spoke about any political issue. Stop being such a turd-stain and think for yourself.
“Nazi theory indeed specifically DENIES that such a thing as “THE TRUTH” exists...The implied objective of this line of thought is a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past. If the Leader says of such and such an event, “It never happened”—well, it never happened."
~ George Orwell, (BBC journalist who fought against FASCISM and who was silenced by Churchill* when he was criticizing Stalin) six years before his book: ”Nineteen Eighty-Four”. * later fascist/terrorist: Iran Oil Coup d'eta 1953 (SIS Operation BOOT/CIA Operation TPAJAX)
"Think of the PRESS as a great keyboard on which the government can play...✈ If you tell A LIE BIG enough ('THE BIG LIE') - and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. THE LIE CAN BE MAINTAINED ONLY for such time AS THE STATE CAN SHIELD THE PEOPLE from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the LIE. It thus becomes VITALLY IMPORTANT for the State to USE ALL OF ITS POWERS TO REPRESS DISSIDENT (Real Patriots/Truth tellers), for THE TRUTH IS THE MORTAL ENEMY OF THE LIE, and thus by extension, THE TRUTH IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE STATE"
~ Joseph Goebbels, far-right wing Nazi fascist, Adolf Hitler's Ministry of Propaganda
Well, that's fundamentally incorrect. Where were all of those supposedly concerned (and informed) citizens during the Bush Administration; during the beginning stages of the implementation of the PATRIOT Act? As far as I know, Obama has not ventured any further than his predecessor did into the realm of governmental violations of civilian civil rights. And I haven't heard of the "Liberty movement". I do, however, understand that the Tea Party is a protofascist movement which is founded on many principles which are upheld by the numerous and yet widespread misinformation campaigns that are perpetuated almost solely by the right wing media.
I wish I knew how Mr. Chomsky proposes to raise middle Americas wages with bigger more powerful government. Tell us Mr. Chomsky, what is your plan? Maybe you'd like to use the great example of Detroit for you supposition?
I did enjoy this discussion, I have read his book,3 others. His thoughts on social, political, economics, are very close to my own.I would have asked, How science was taken over by military and that most new technology comes through the military, Research-developement cost money-military has money. Since Hiroshima, all of science held hostage by military industrial complex, woven with corporations involved with wafare. Also getting rid of the middle class, means less they know the better off they-the masses will be!Dumbing down of America, makes a few a lot of money and more addiction in the public real.Pharma-drug-cuiticals, is big money, floride, librium ,prosac, zolof, paxil all are made to dumb you down emotionally, your food, does the same. Lets put all the cards on the table and you will see it all goes back to POPULATION CONTROL through, food, water, education,drugs,air you breath-chemical trails, Vaccines. Yes some would say "F_ck you for a buck", or Duck Soup! More discussion thanks Fora good time!
I get the feeling my generation (born '87) are less 'civilized' again sadly...and less interested. But I don't have any evidence, just a feeling. Anyone care to prove me wrong?
Scaif & Coors & an assortment of Skull & Bones very rich business men are orchestrating all this tea bag junk behind the scenes. These people are all brainwashed & don't even know it. The top 10% of the wealthy control 90% of the riches of the country, & they want to keep it that way. Wake up, before your kids have no health care, no food, no clothing & are living in a global warmed desert in cardboard boxes on the dump of the rich people. The rich want Mexico - where a few rich rule, & everyone else scratches. The progressives want Canada - where everybody has a fairly decent life, with health care.
Hundreds of thousands of people showed up to Washington last weekend for the Restoring Honor rally. These people are not controlled they want freedom from the people who are trying to control them! They were peaceful and God fearing, people who yearned for liberty not liberalism.
as a canadian living in asia. i can definitely see what he is talking about. simply by taking cnn,i can see a huge difference on how stories are reported and narrated on international cnn compared to u.s. cnn.
american media is very focused on presenting issues to american audiences using what is felt to be the popular narrative of the time. it is a very insular perspective as well. the bi-polarized atmosphere in american media seems to stiffle anything other than a right-left approach. in turn, it sells to an identifiable audience making it easier for media to rationalize and make their spreadsheets more efficient.
i grew up in canada. american media was the norm. i find myself defending america a lot to criticism.
but i can see what he is talking about.
member. 
