Noam Chomsky's Take on "American Sniper"

During a public conversation prompted by the beginning of the Tsarnaev trial in Boston, Noam Chomsky discussed the larger issue of society's growing tolerance for violence and willingness to overlook questionable acts carried out by government agencies. He refers to a review of the 2014 film, "American Sniper" as a way into the conversation about what we define as terror, when we feel justified in protecting ourselves and what the fallout is for taking violent action.
Hosted at The Lilypad in Cambridge, MA by The Baffler Magazine, featuring the ACLU's Kade Crockford and linguist Noam Chomsky.

[@irishdc9523]

To those who condemn the Iraqis for killing US troops, ask yourself this. Would you react any differently if your country was invaded, occupied and a puppet regime was put in place?

[@danmorgan3685]

American Sniper strikes me as a modern western of sorts. The old westerns had this horrible take on Native Americans. They were portrayed as the instigators of violence, savage and hostile not because of any grievances but by their very nature.

[@Samgurney88]

The audio quality is a little sketchy, so I've taken the liberty of transcribing it for those who might benefit:

[@AyeTVsco]

Chris Kyle was also a compulsive liar.

[@k4nc3r]

Stop aging, Chomsky. :\\ We don't have your replacement, and Gore Vidal is dead. C'mon, man.

[@RICHARDGRANNON]

American Sniper, Act of Valor, Zero Dark Thirty, Lone Survivor... Even Goebbels would blush. Go back to sleep America.

[@quintinphillips]

Obama "There is real evil in the world'

[@signifidelica2819]

That woman with a grenade was acting in self defense, and not only that but walking out against american troops with nothing but a grenade shows amazing courage. What a sociopath this sniper is.

[@northernbohemian]

WBGH? Seriously? This audio equals that of of a seventh grade A/V assistant in 1973.

[@FrostTrollzor]

The problem is that there's hundreds of right-wing conservatives, "left" (neo)liberals and generally entire mainstream political establishment in comparision to the very few people like Chomsky. People hate me for holding him in high regard and I know that he's not faultless, but at very least he's right on the spot on many issues concerning foreign policy, very factual and knows how to debate and answer complex questions.

[@1mchartmann]

The film should be called American psychopath as that would be more fitting. Of course Americans in general are becoming more pathological in there thought processes.We now like to glorify people that in the past would have been seen as having questionable ethics.

[@jmikkonen3805]

Obama winning the Noble Prize is one of the biggest jokes I've ever witnessed. The whole institution lost it's value and respect right there and then.

[@Ratama]

that mic is just rubbish.

[@cathalmacsiurdain7762]

I always thought snipers were dispised by ordinary soldiers because of the callousness of their actions. To celebrate one of these individuals as a hero means that we are all going insane.

[@GabGotti3]

I remember when this movie hit the theaters and I was like “what is everyone so happy about?”

[@kuwinsitall]

here's a fun thing I do.....ask a conservative if they like the film "Red Dawn". they always say yes and fantasize about protecting Merica. ask them if the Iraqis are any different then the Wolverines in the film. they are always flummoxed

[@stevenhalliday7297]

Obama winning the Nobel peace prize is like Ed Gein winning a prize for his sewing.

[@EyEofOblivic]

You have him mic'd with a lapel.... what the hell was your audio guy doing?! I can barely hear the man and it really upsets me.

[@rlyshw]

Could they post the full video without that cut at

[@gozone100]

If you think the way Chris Kyle was portrayed in American Sniper was good, wait til you see the way Daniel Bruhl portrayed him in Inglorious Basterds.