Noam Chomsky

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I dig this guy. Very compelling speaker. Anyone else at AI into Mr. Chomsky? I guess I am a nerd: I have a bunch-o-Chomsky lectures on my iPod!





FYI: Noam Chomsky is one of America's most prominent political dissidents. A renowned professor of linguistics at MIT, he has authored over 30 political books dissecting such issues as U.S. interventionism in the developing world, the political economy of human rights and the propaganda role of corporate media.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Isn't he the guy who predicted genocide in Afghanistan at the hands of US troops?



    I should add that I thought he was a really bright guy until he said we deserved 9/11. I lost a lot of respect for him with his attitude that those people deserved to die. Sorry to rain on the thread, I just have a chip on my shoulder with that nut's name is mentioned.
  • Reply 2 of 41
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Chumpsky? Find a better roll model and/or hero that that liar.
  • Reply 3 of 41
    enaena Posts: 667member
    A couple of guys did a documentary on Noam, _Manufacturing Consent_.



    It made a lot of sense.
  • Reply 4 of 41
    His written works were/are interesting but the several of his speeches which I have heard on the radio were rather embarrassingly slanted on issues of fact so much so that it killed his credibility on issues of justice and morality and such that were more open to opinion.
  • Reply 5 of 41
    I deem Noam Chomsky is one of the most intellectual men of our time and I'm confident that his name will have a place in history, such as those of Einstein, Rembrandt, Mark Twain, Plato . . . many other notables. You might not like what he has to say about 9-11 doesn't make his observation less true.



    Mike
  • Reply 6 of 41
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Doesn't make them more true either.
  • Reply 7 of 41
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    I don't question his knowledge or intelligence. I question his judgement, his compassion, maybe his morality and certainly his paranoia.
  • Reply 8 of 41
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    Buon, you are enthusiastically seconded. Right on the money.
  • Reply 9 of 41
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    He's a smart guy, no doubt. He basically started the field of linguistics, so he's definitely going to be remebered. But I don't think his senile comments on political matters will stand the test of time nearly as well as will his research on linguistics.



    The impression that I get, about Chomsky on politics, is that he is a beacon of reason among the naive. That is, people who haven't given political-economic concepts a lot of thought will find his views compellingly sharp. (Indeed, I think he's horribly wrong but I do find him to be sharp). But when you compare him side by side with people who are famous for political and economic though, he's just a hack.
  • Reply 10 of 41
    Noam iz a meshugene.
  • Reply 11 of 41
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by dstranathan

    I dig this guy. Very compelling speaker. Anyone else at AI into Mr. Chomsky? I guess I am a nerd: I have a bunch-o-Chomsky lectures on my iPod!



    Yep! Same here. I also have the ripped audio track of the 'Manufacturing Consent' on there. Thought I was the only one.



    Also, Splinemodel, he did not start linguistics in any way. Linguistics have been of major interest since the beginning of the 19th century (and again, with plenty of people studying it before that), but beginning of the 19th century with official recognition and authority. Should I mention the Germans, who were really the source of language study? (coicides with romanticism and desire to unveil the 'character' of the people). What Chomsky DID do was develop this concept of 'Generative grammar' (a.k.a. transformative grammar). He linked concepts that date back to Plato (the presupposition of language in every person, in 'basic syntax') and concepts that go back to 1920s structuralism (language being the result of the permanent re-combining of atomic building blocks), together with his own (in my opinion) bold conjecture.
  • Reply 12 of 41
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto



    I lost a lot of respect for him with his attitude that those people deserved to die.




    When did he say that they deserved to die?
  • Reply 13 of 41
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    It'll take me a while to find that stuff, so it'll have to wait til tongiht. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. 1 1/2 years might have cooled me off a bit and maybe what he said isn't as bad as it sounded then. I'll get back to this... [added: at this rate, it might have to wait until the weekend ]
  • Reply 14 of 41
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto

    It'll take me a while to find that stuff, so it'll have to wait til tongiht. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. 1 1/2 years might have cooled me off a bit and maybe what he said isn't as bad as it sounded then. I'll get back to this...



    No! You MUST respond now!!! The internet is instantaneous!!!



    Or not.



  • Reply 15 of 41
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    I think he's great. Such a contrast to the credulous populist-O'Reilly-sound-bite artists dominating our social and political commentary in these days of cable news talk shows and right-wing loudmouth talk radio. He definitely would fit the "blame America first" description, and I don't agree with much of what he says about the US being the great evil country, but what a calm, analytical, critical, unique voice.
  • Reply 16 of 41
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    Well, thank God he is unique.
  • Reply 17 of 41
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BuonRotto

    I thought he was a really bright guy until he said we deserved 9/11. I lost a lot of respect for him with his attitude that those people deserved to die



    I remember him saying that 9/11 occurred because of US activities around the world but I don't recall him saying that any of the people killed on 9/11 deserved to die. It would surprise me if he had.



    Edit: redundant question...
  • Reply 18 of 41
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    Noam is fine, the problem is the group of idiots who believe every word he says (and, like the faithful tend to, extrapolate and essentially fabricate new ideas and attribute them to him).



    I have a couple of his books and a lecture on CD. Worth listening to/reading to get a different perspective.



    Be careful about worshipping a human though, too many people like to just carry his stuff around like a Bible or a weapon to use in petty internet squabbles.
  • Reply 19 of 41
    timotimo Posts: 353member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Splinemodel

    He's a smart guy, no doubt. He basically started the field of linguistics, so he's definitely going to be remebered. But I don't think his senile comments on political matters will stand the test of time nearly as well as will his research on linguistics.



    His comments on political matters stem from his work in linguistics: in short, he sees everything through that lens.



    While the focus may be sharp in some ways, it's amazing myoptic in others.
  • Reply 20 of 41
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by groverat

    Be careful about worshipping a human though, too many people like to just carry his stuff around like a Bible or a weapon to use in petty internet squabbles.



    Well, well. Being honest, I'd have to point out to you that you are the only one I have ever seen drawing the Noam card in any discussion.
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