Noam Chomsky — Pioneering linguist, philosopher, and longtime political dissident, widely regarded as one of the most cited intellectuals alive. Co-author of 'Manufacturing Consent' and a leading critic of US foreign policy.
The gist
In this brief, interview-style episode, the 93-year-old Chomsky discusses the war in Ukraine and 21st-century geopolitics. He traces Putin's motivations to NATO expansion and Russia's lost-power grievances, calling the invasion a supreme international crime on par with the US invasion of Iraq. He argues the West focuses only on arming Ukraine while ignoring diplomatic paths to end the war, and warns that pushing for total Russian defeat gambles with nuclear escalation. He then turns to US-China tensions, the dangers of a 'rule-based' versus UN-based international order, the nature of media propaganda, and what he sees as America's internal decay.
Big reveals
- Opens by warning that a war between the US and China 'would destroy the possibilities of organized life on earth.'
- Calls Putin's invasion of Ukraine a 'supreme international crime' on par with the US invasion of Iraq and the Stalin-Hitler invasion of Poland.
- Praises the Pentagon as the 'dovish component' for vetoing escalation plans like a no-fly zone that could lead to nuclear war.
- Argues the West is taking 'an extraordinary gamble' that 'mad vlad' won't use weapons he hasn't yet deployed to destroy Ukraine.
- Says he would 'walk out of the room' rather than interview Putin, just as he would refuse to flatter any aggressive leader.
- Frames the US as wanting a 'rule-based international order' precisely because the US gets to set the rules.
- Recounts Justice Thomas's gun ruling as essentially saying America is so 'decaying' and 'hideous' that people need guns to go to the grocery store.
Things worth remembering
- Chomsky says Clinton began expanding NATO eastward in violation of 'firm, unambiguous promises' made to Gorbachev not to do so.
- Cites intelligence veteran Graham Fuller saying he never saw Cold War 'Russophobia' to the extent seen today.
- References his own book 'Manufacturing Consent,' built around the 'propaganda model' of media.
- Notes much of 'Manufacturing Consent' actually defends journalists against Freedom House attacks claiming the media lost the Vietnam War.
- Cites former Australian PM Paul Keating's view that 'the China threat is that China exists' and won't follow US orders.
- Says the US is the only country outside of war where life expectancy is declining and mortality is increasing.
- States US health spending is about twice as high as other developed nations while health outcomes are among the worst.
- Notes Congress had to brand an infrastructure repair bill a 'China competition act' to get it passed.
- Closes the episode with Voltaire: murderers are punished 'unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.'
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Manufacturing Consent
Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman
“have a book called manufacturing consent jointly with edward herman it's about the his term which i had accepted the propaganda model of the media” — Noam Chomsky 00:24:42Find it on Amazon