Noam Chomsky: A Left Response to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The ongoing war in Ukraine is a humanitarian disaster with tremendous geopolitical, economic, social, and climate-related repercussions that are being felt throughout the world. How have these horrific events come to pass? What will the short-term and long-term effects be on the people of Ukraine, the people of Russia, and on the global political order? And what does a principled, internationalist, anti-imperialist left response to the war in Ukraine look like?In this special discussion, world-renowned linguist and analyst Noam Chomsky speaks with legendary activist and socialist Bill Fletcher, Jr. about the roots of Russian aggression in Ukraine, the background to the conflict, the US role, and how the Left can respond.
This event was made possible through the collaboration and support of sponsoring organizations, including:
Liberation Road: roadtoliberation.org/
Convergence Magazine: convergencemag.com/
Z-NET: zcomm.org/znet/
Institute for the Black World-21st Century: ibw21.org/
Legacy of Equality, Leadership & Organizing-Seattle: lelo.org/
Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism: www.cc-ds.org/
The Real News Network: therealnews.com/
The Center for Global Justice: www.globaljusticecenter.org/
International Marxist-Humanist Organization: imhojournal.org/
Global Studies Association of North America: www.net4dem.org/mayglobal/
Communist Party USA: www.cpusa.org/
Left Roots: leftroots.net/
Working Families Party: workingfamilies.org/
Grassroots Global Justice: ggjalliance.org/
Malcolm X Grassroots Movement: freethelandmxgm.org/
Socialist Project: socialistproject.ca/
Organization for Black Struggle: www.obs-stl.org/
In These Times: inthesetimes.com/
Studio/Post-Production: Adam Coley

[@w.bridges9118]

In my humble opinion, when this man talks, we all should listen and learn what he has to say, my regards from Australia 🇦🇺.

[@atmosphereadr588]

true, because he turned out to be right about lots of things

[@nunoa.fernandes6541]

Afghan children are starving. God bless Noam Chomsky for never forgetting what is most important.

[@kuriadams9138]

Yemeni children too.

[@ellea3344]

@@Name-cz5jj Or that those who chose not to take an invassive medical procedure that had not been properly vetted or tested should be put in concentration camps. Old man Chomsky would have been the guy helping to reassue those walking to the gas chamber that it's just a shower for their own good.

[@drzeworyj]

no children should be forgotten or be more important than other. I hope you donated your money to Afghan children this month, too.

[@NN-ul4oy]

@@Name-cz5jj That's the sad thing about Noam... but let him be, he works behind his desk and not on the street. His answeres in THIS interview were great throughout!

[@jennyomalley7634]

So are Syrian's kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYKXanSahL-GjNU

[@jolima]

Many commentators here were mad about the interviewer bringing up mainstream media talking points/ questions. I was actually very thankful for that, cause in my discussions I hear exactly those kind of questions, so its good to hear that Chomsky answers to this kind of arguments. Anyways much better then the pure bubble talk on most channels - an all sides.

[@jolima]

ok the interviewer is also very repetitive :p

[@davidschlessinger9945]

we don't expect so-called progressives to bring up corporate talking points

[@henrygarciga]

What channels do you follow and trust ?

[@robertferguson851]

@@jolima He was repetitive because he was trying to get Chomsky to answer his questions instead of evading them. Unfortunately, Chomsky is the evasion King. He is an agitprop guy, not a truth guy. BS is his forte.

[@jolima]

@@henrygarciga unfortunately don’t have anymore changes I blindly trust - everyone has blind spots. So the best one can do is gather a multitude of perspectives to get a more complex picture. (E.g used to like grey zone, then became clear how strongly the always follow the same narrative). But would also be thankful for new inspiration! (Rebel wisdom seems to try a synthesis view as of lately - not super deep, but nice to see someone, trying not to get stuck)

[@grzegkania]

Fletcher - like most people - assumes he knows who the bad guy is but he has no clue why the bad guy is so bad and does all the bad things but knows that he has to be punished and if that results in a total annihilation of the planet, so be it. Chomsky tries to explain why the bad guy is so bad and how to deal with him to avoid Armageddon.

[@jakobson219]

@RGK yes. No one should assume they know anything before consulting with Comrade Chomsky.

[@pepper0604]

Are you talking about US?

[@sepouhaghababayan1316]

May be Fletcher was asking some of those questions deliberately; like the way the not so left leaning people pose questions to the leftists on these matters. So, I am better prepared to deal with answering those kind of questions than before I watched this interview. My two cents.

[@NN-ul4oy]

... and Fletcher still did not understand anything.

[@NN-ul4oy]

@@jakobson219 no one should listen to you, paid troll

[@harryd5893]

Great interview! I routinely listen to Chomsky on KZbin, this is one of the rare of the rarest instances I can remember where interviewer is pushing back on Chomsky, and in the process extracting increasingly clear, more distilled analysis. Really ENJOYED it! Thanks again, please keep up the good work, the world needs you more than ever now!

[@NN-ul4oy]

Good point. I hate it when the Noam fanboys don't dare to question their idol. For a while they didn't even dare to tell Noam to stop mumbling too far away from the microphone.

[@nickkemp4979]

"Pushing back" implies that your opinion is right. You can disagree and present evidence as to why you disagree, but the concept of "pushing back" in certain leftist circles has such an arrogant, pompous undertone to it that I just ignore anyone who says it.

[@nickkemp4979]

@@NN-ul4oy People respect Chomsky's opinion. That's not being a "fanboy." And you thinking that people being too shy to tell an old man that they can't hear him because they don't want to be rude is just evidence that you group people that you disagree with in a category and smear them as "fanboys."

[@NN-ul4oy]

@@nickkemp4979 You are underlining for fanboyism. Fuck your idols. When Noam mumbles and you can't understand him, just tell him. Either he gets it or he doesn't. Just wasting time to hear unaudible mumbling is no sign of respect, it's a sign of fanboyism! We need to strike back with capable personal. Noam is a genius. What are you talking about? He will take critisism easily, and if not, then we all know. Stop defending the indefensible! Cutting out criticism is a tool of the establishment! And, as you can see at other comments of myself here, I totally agree with what Noam is stating here, and also I make fun of the host not listening, not comprehending. So, what is your point???!

[@nickkemp4979]

@@NN-ul4oy Yeah see this is you being completely divorced from reality and making stuff up in your own head. I never said Noam was a "genius." I said people respect his opinion. This isn't about people who are fans of Chomsky being able to critically think. This is about you not agreeing with Chomsky.

[@kraz007]

Disagree on Chomsky's suggestion that it was possible for Russia to get Germany and France onboard. They tried that with Minsk II and it was sabotaged and invalidated by the US, encouraging Zelensky to abandon it. So Russia definitely tried it, Lavrov said it repeatedly.

[@ruyaal]

In Spanish we say: Hay que hablar con el dueño del circo, no con los payasos. I agree completely.

[@keithtomey5046]

Exactly - there was nothing Russia could have done apart from what they did. Biden announced that Russia were going to "invade" on 16 February because he knew the Ukrainuan regime was massively escalating their shelling of the Donbass to ensure Russia would have to do that.

[@michal000123]

how was it sabotaged by USA?

[@johanmetreus1268]

The same Lavrov that also said that the maternity ward in Mariupol: * had not been bombed at all, just a groundless smear by Ukraine, then days later * had been blown up Ukrainians mishandling the basement ammo dump, week after * was regretfully bombed by Russia with success, as it was a Nazi fortress, but 2 month later: * the whole thing was a filmset, with actors playing victims and soldiers.

[@stven8363]

People are complaining about the interviewer not being knowledgeable enough and biased but I think he is a good representation for where most Americans are on this issue. I hope more people who don't fully understand what is going on in Ukraine find this video and take the time to listen, Chomsky does a great job of explaining things.

[@chrisschneiders6734]

We're most americians are? Maybe l have a low opinion of americians but l thought yould be lucky if 10 percent know the reason for putins madness. It's becoming a death wish for putin, or the world!.

[@chadcarlson9306]

Why aren’t they talking about Will Smith and the Oscars ?

[@stven8363]

@@chrisschneiders6734 I'm not sure I follow your line of thinking. Most Americans think putin is the biggest threat to the world but as Noam pointed out most of the world regards the United States as the greatest threat to the rest of the world. As he said we are a violent rouge state.

[@Windband1]

I guess if you put it that way, then yes, he's sort of like a slightly more knowledgeable American. Basically though he doesn't know shit, and sounds like he learned all his info from the US State Dept.

[@Valkyri3Z]

Noam is a classic example of American left stuck in a binary universe where the criteria for victimhood is either bombed by Americans or not. Anyone else deserves all sympathy as long as the crimes are not perpetrated by the US. He lectures Ukrainians or Syrians that their suffering is not due to their immediate aggressor but some indirect action by America.Thus he undermines the right of protest of the oppressed because the oppressor is not US. Its called 'Westsplaining'. Noam is outdated. He failed to express his solidarity with Syrian freedom movement , he fails to sympathize with Ukrainians. The America centric left intellectualism is morally toothless. His desperate effort to find some kind of 'logic or reason' behind Russia's imperialist aggression is nothing but being fascist apologist. This is what happens when someone is old and senile , build his entire career on anti Americanism therefore can not deviate from that track because it threatens their own career and legacy.

[@antonioribeiro2978]

Thank you professor. Says a retired general from my country regardingthis war. Televisions make us forget the past so we don't understand the present The present is this war.

[@robertferguson851]

Hey, didn't George Orwell say something about that?

[@marianotorrespico2975]

Thank you, for the facts and for interviewing Profr.-Dr. Chomsky, the man who tells it like it is, by using facts.

[@ellea3344]

Manufacturing concent Chomsky is.

[@marianotorrespico2975]

@@ellea3344 --- SURE. | Only if Profr.-Dr. Chomsky were the editor-in-chief of the news media. You need only recall what you read in the eponymous book.

[@ellea3344]

@@marianotorrespico2975 LoL. What a stupid qualifier. He's on every sht lib channel that will have him spewing and defending US authoritsrian and imperialism, advocating for war, censorship, and infringing on the right of WE the PEOPLE by way of force. He has become a fearful old man who cast aside what he preached for so long. He's no longer for free speech.

[@jakobson219]

Indeed, there are only two men who tell it like it is, Noam Chomsky and Donald Trump. They make America great! Let's hear it for these true American patriots!

[@ellea3344]

@@jakobson219 Holy fk, please tell me you are joking... about both. Americans are the most propagandized people in the world. Smh

[@citizenworld8464]

Mr. Fletcher, you are well in over your head. Trying to deflect on the role of the US and hence its geopolitical and financial interests at the expense of other nations, does in no way exonerate our role in the current crisis in Ukraine. Before you decide to interview a historian of Mr. Chomsky’s caliber, you should research the history of the region in question and formulate your questions accordingly!

[@marianotorrespico2975]

Citizen World - CORRECT, BUT. . . . | You are right, the host wants t have it both ways, but, at the least, he tried; Noam Chomsky's presence compensates for the factual shortcomings of the host.

[@gatorbuc99]

Well said, citizen world

[@TheVafa95]

These questions are the type of questions in many people's minds. Interviewing is not like boxing. 😂 the purpose is for listeners to have a better understanding of the situation.

[@citizenworld8464]

@@TheVafa95 the listeners also can’t be mislead by unclear questions that tend to confuse by the nature of their formulation!

[@marimbadearco]

Bill Fletcher did a good job bringing up the question of the Russian leadership's own very non-progressive ambitions -- led to a good discussion instead of the usual BlackOrWhite Zone "anything touched by any Western anything means it is a CIA creation and puppet" vs. corporate media "The U.S. can only be a force for good everywhere at all times." Both of those sides are like stenographers that just repeat their side and ignore any other complicating questions. Here we get to have some serious journalist analysis that is open-eyed to look at more than just one side of a coin.

[@blueoak116]

Thanks for doing this! Noam Was brilliant! His grasp of history, his ready response, his refusal to be sidelined, was amazing. The truth of history has never been more important.

[@ericvardek4108]

Exactly. Problem is Noam (fine linguist/social commentator) FAILS to reiterate history correctly. The US never promised not to enlarge NATO. . In fact, according to the CSCE Treaty which Gorbachev agreed to and the USSR signed, specifically allows any country to join any alliance it desires. To be sure Soviet views and Western approaches varied during & after the period of German unification, so I'll let Robert Zoellick, former Deputy Secretary of State during this time explain: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnOXdGNuoph9hbs Great red herring BTW: Mexico joins Chinese alliance.

[@ayin6163]

@@treygowdyspurpletie9878 I’m sure he regrets venturing beyond linguistics, a decision which made him one of the most cited authors of the last century

[@robertferguson851]

God help history (or any other compendium of facts) if it is dependent for its existence and transmission to future generations on Noam Chomsky.

[@Elisa-mg3rc]

​@Trey Gowdy's Purple Tie@@robertferguson851 the death of Noam Chomsky will be the end of intelligent life in the USA... as this chat makes quite evident. Can you point one single fact that he brought up that is not real and documented? Btw, as a scholar he mention the sources.

[@barbarasmith6005]

@@robertferguson851 Why is that?

[@NaveenYadav-bv6fw]

I admire both the host and the guest. They both probed each other gently and discussed great details of the entire conflict. I am glad I watched it.

[@elsonck2523]

Though the interviewer's questions and cutoffs were cringeworthy.

[@4411825]

The host is a neoliberal shill and a lier who supports imperialism!

[@justgivemethetruth]

Yes, well said. Nice to hear an objective comment. The interviewer seems to be getting a lot of criticism for not laying down and just worshipping Chomsky's infallibility.

[@ArcherOfJustice]

@@elsonck2523 The interviewer was good at challenging Chomsky's views.

[@spiritualhumanist]

....you missing the nature of international affairs...interviewer have a great chance for CNN, MSNBC or Colbert report. I really admire Chomsky’s patience.

[@NN-ul4oy]

Noam should have answered: "You are missing everything! What kind of an idiot are you?!" Yes, he was patient with Bill and explained in length what needs to be said. Bill didn't seem to understand but for me it was a nice treat.

[@charleskesner1302]

Always good to hear from Noam. Thanks.

[@charlescanzater]

One of our greatest truth tellers ! Please join the peoples party today ! Honest peace and Justice for all man kind !🙏🏽✌🏽🤗

[@SThrillz]

This guy actually brought up Syria as an argument for Russia to act without US meddling, Syria of all places where the CIA has had its highest spending in overseas "misadventure".

[@StayBasedJesus]

Haha yea , there is not a options for him Russian Federation has been in Gorgia, chechnya , syria and Ukraine. Now for USA , they have overthrowned over 50 countries/countries since ww2🤣 they should not be talking

[@veronicaancrum4871]

@@StayBasedJesus IT'S NOT ABOUT DEFENDING UKRAINE; IT'S ABOUT DESTROYING RUSSIA, AND ITS NOW OR NEVER, ACCORDING TO WEST'S CALCULATIONS.

[@michelleerwin3833]

Assad used chemical weapons repeatedly. Why is it so easy to excuse war crimes from other brutal regimes because of US war crimes.

[@wankertanker1813]

How do we know the cia was in Syria? I mean, I don't doubt it. But how did we, the public, find this out?

[@SThrillz]

@@wankertanker1813 the CIA project was called Timber Sycamore, it's pretty open information. There's lots of report on it but people still like to pretend it never happened.

[@user-nw5cm8ge6m]

Noam Chomsky has been the biggest and bestest teacher in my life even though I'm a mathematician. He has done more for my intellectual life than everyone else combined. Thank you! Also, he looks healthy and strong. LONG LIVE NOAM!!!

[@alexmitchell8430]

Apologies, commenting as am listening... the bit about the two NATO countries, Germany and France against the introduction of Ukraine to NATO... that may or may not be true... what is true is the the US "own" NATO. Who wanted to invade Iraq? How much protestation around the world in NATO countries against this invasion? One million people in the UK physically turned up in London to protest the invasion, REPEAT physically turned up (that's more than one percent of the entire population of the UK made the effort to physically turn up... the invasion still went ahead because the US wanted it and the UK, where I live, went along because that is what "we" have done since the end of WW2 (pretty much) - we do whatever the US "asks" us to do. What is happening in the Ukraine right now, and we have family there, was totally and utterly avoidable had the US agreed to dialog, had agreed to adhere to the agreement about NATO expansion (or lack of in fact) after the fall of the Soviet Union.

[@RubbaDubbaDooskie]

Iraq wasn't a NATO conflict. Many of the constituent states may have been involved, but NATO was not formally involved. Noam's point about other states merely being puppets and vassals is fairly depressing - no doubt rooted in his informed concepts of pragmatism and "the way of the world"(reminiscent of Mearshimer's imo). I think that Bill's point was salient. NATO nor the EU can accept the membership of countries with active combat zones within their borders(perhaps they can, but this would trigger immediate conflict and would be no different from the US launching air strikes). Noam didn't explore moralistic or functional differences between the behavior of superpowers vs. regional powers, nor did he really rip into Russian past aggression or their outrageous official statements regarding Ukraine. Instead we're treated to "that's how it is" regarding their behavior and a reinforcement of the Russian party line that its Anschluss referendum was in fact legitimate. Yeah, the US is shitty. Yeah, there are hawks within the US who wanted this to happen. I don't see much in the way of seeing through the eyes of the populace of former Soviet states. Nor do I see much in the way of exploring the purely moralistic angle of things like Mexico hosting Chinese missiles, or how nuclear subs patrol international waters rendering traditional concepts of "security" functionally obsolete.

[@gatorbuc99]

100%!!! Even NOW, after everything, while propagandizing alot of the US population with fake 🇺🇦 solidarity, the US is still pouring weapons in, *knowing* that it’ll only prolong the conflict, instead of empowering Kiev to come to an agreement with Moscow in order to stop the killing.

[@kodowdus]

I would submit that Professor Chomsky should have place greater emphasis on the evidence that elements within the U.S. government intentionally and successfully provoked Putin into doing what the rest of us thought was unthinkable (or at least profoundly mindless): kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKGkhIanr5abfcU

[@shmulikcarmon9528]

There is no real accounting here to the bunch of lies that Putin has proclaimed and his responsibility to previous horror aggressive military quite criminal offenses in the past.

[@timberdoodle6924]

The city of London has much to say about the doings on Wallstreet. The US government works with that gang So go easy on your lipservice of demonizing the US while praising the UK Neither does what it's citizens want!

[@vka3]

Prof Chomsky is extremely sharp at his age of 93. The host, Bill Fletcher has difficulty comprehending what Prof Chomsky is saying.

[@jcolwill]

Kudos to Noam chopping up the interviewer's NATO apologetics.

[@billjoe39]

The same noam that claimed a 'blowback', not inside job, explanation for 9/11, you mean ? Also known as 'who cares?' ( about 9/11) chomsky. That old fakir should retire, and take chris hedges and amy goodman with him.

[@TimothyMusson]

That was excellent, thank you both!

[@henrymorales3558]

Keep America Out of Ukraine Not our country Not our place Not our business Russia is Not our enemy ✌️

[@sunnyla2835]

Many thanks! Love Noam Chomsky ❣️

[@Joshua-le5wb]

I so not appreciate Bill's biased question and sins of omission in context of the premise of his question. Cold war national security state social Dems?

[@MyPetrushka]

He is a good interviewer. Those questions needed to be asked. And Noam answered them correctly.

[@4411825]

He’s trash 🗑 and exposed himself for what he is and Choamsky wasn’t much better!

[@Joshua-le5wb]

@@MyPetrushka Questions not based on reality or on their face biased need to be asked? that's not a good interviewer.

[@chillende]

@@Joshua-le5wb Goddamn right.

[@ceciliaromia]

Long live Professor Chomsky! ♥️👏👏👏

[@averayugen8462]

He has already lol

[@elisoni2424]

A day without hypocrisy is a day wasted USA and western nations

[@SBCBears]

Awww... come on. Have a heart... in fact, if you want one, you can get a fresh one from the CCP.

[@dee-vee]

I thought "hypocrisy" wasn't in the American english dictionary.

[@jakobson219]

@@dee-vee that's probably because you're looking in the Russian dictionary.

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

Thank you so much for this discussion with Noam. Right now I cherish this discussion and one that I've seen with Glenn Greenwald on how to think and feel about the invasion of Ukraine.

[@jennyomalley7634]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2jadnaZmLGFm8U

[@kx7500]

glenn greenwald has been totally corrupted and is now a blatant fascist

[@radicalsquare]

I'm very impressed with Chomskys perspective on this.

[@tamolamo4698]

One tric pony. Who stole my sendwich ? Ameeeeeeeeeeeeerika

[@JonathanRootD]

He's blindly critical of America to the point that he minimizes the greater atrocities committed by Russia.

[@elinannestad5320]

@@JonathanRootD critical but not blindly. He's done all the research necessary to support what he says. I've never heard anyone find him wrong on facts. Corpse for corpse, the USA has done more harm to other countries.

[@johnsondon277]

He has a pretty selective view of history. The Soviets (Russians) brutally occupied Eastern Europe for almost 50 years. I was there and it was real. The Kremlin ordered invasions of Hungary 1944, East Germany 1953, Czechoslovakia 1968 and now Ukraine. These are real people in these counties, not part of a Grand Chess Game to be negotiated and bartered.

[@luukdeboer1974]

Thank you very much. Noam Chomsky is far from being senile

[@naturebc]

This guy doesn’t have a clue. When US coup d’état put Poroshenko in power and they started to prosecute Russians then Russia annexed crimea

[@profe3330]

Great to see Chomsky kicking butt and naming names! There's nobody I trust more on foreign policy. Thank you, Real News Network. :)

[@robertmacdonnell258]

Kicking ass and taking names. This refers to taking the dog tags of the deceased enemy.

[@kevinjohnson9533]

I'd add Pepe Escobar and Michael Hudson right now as well.

[@profe3330]

@@kevinjohnson9533 Yep. I like them too. I also loved Stephen Cohen's terrific analyses back in the day - I only wish he was still with us. We could really use his wisdom today.

[@kevinjohnson9533]

@@profe3330 You are right Prof.

[@jakobson219]

@@profe3330 don't forget the ones from Vladimir Ilich Lenin. Oldies but goodies !

[@leslierodricks2701]

Thank you very much for the great interview with the great No am Chomsky!

[@chadcarlson9306]

Why aren’t they talking about Will Smith and the Oscars ???

[@winstonwirht2512]

Ukraine on Fire contains historical facts on the current Ukraine crisis. It is worth watching that documentary of Oliver Stone

[@jennifersignsoflife1375]

He made a second one in 2019 called, "Revealing Ukraine" that's equally as good. There's also a GREAT documentary made by French-Ukrainian filmmaker named Anne-Laure Bonnel called, "Donbass (2016)", which is free over on bitchute & there are some versions with English subtitles. It is truly heart breaking. ALL of these facts were well known by our politicians, so it's just disgusting how they're crafting this narrative to paint Zelenskyy as some of hero. They're fully aware of what kind of totalitarian monster he is & that Putin has been asking for 8 years for the kiIIing of ethnic Russians to stop. Yet they call Putin the mad man. It's sick.

[@eileenmc4746]

The three in series were on Global Tree Pictures site on you tube as I saw them 6 weeks ago. Maybe on Rumble.

[@egbutler114]

Bill Fletcher, it would be a good idea for you to interview Aaron Matte of the Grayzone about the Ukraine War and US imperialism. You seem to be bias to the US.

[@ghandygh]

Bill is looking for a job on NBC news etc.

[@kodowdus]

Unfortunately, by keeping Fletcher around, it looks like TRN is changing their "business model" to faux progressive (think TYT, etc.), leaving it up to us to go directly to the source for insights from true progressive sites like the Grayzone: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKGkhIanr5abfcU

[@philor777]

The best. The Professor is superb. Very knowledgeable man on history and geo politics.

[@madworld1962]

This is the kind of interview from a left perspective that is so disappointing. Bill seems genuinely perplexed as to why Russia and Russia alone does not follow rules based order and comes back to this theme repeatedly. Don't we get enough of the clutching of pearls from mainstream media? Chomsky made it abundantly clear that Russia's act was a supreme violation. It boggles the mind that the endless violations of the out-of-control hegemon that is the USA is constantly put aside to focus on one side. This is deceptive when looking at nations and their geopolitical concerns and power grabs. There are no good guys but the biggest threat to this planet is the USA. If I want the blinders on take, or devil's advocate I can find that on news bought and paid for by all the American oligarchs.

[@Simon-gc6uf]

They can't hear you and they never will. Sheep gonna be sheep...

[@eveeve1763]

@@Simon-gc6uf oh ok so you are a sheep US... I understand.

[@eldeluxo]

Maybe there are no "good guys" but their are certainly "bad guys", would you prefer that Russia or China were the major world power?

[@oswarz]

@@eldeluxo Both. Unipolarity with the US on top is disaster for the rank and file of every country. Of course, every oligarch of every country will love it.

[@eldeluxo]

@@oswarzYou are clearly out to lunch and no understanding of how evil the Russian and Chinese regimes are. I would suggest getting out and seeing the world.

[@stavroskarageorgis4804]

The interviewer seems to have never read or listened to Chomsky before. He's asking him the same dumb questions Noam has been asked, and answered definitively, a thousand times before. Noam Chomsky, correctly and consistently, has no interest in critiquing or condemning OTHER countries and their regimes and their actions if they are 'official enemies' of the U.S. and its allies. The reason is obvious: he and we have zero influence on what THOSE countries, regimes, etc. do or do not do. In fact, the more we join the demonizing thereof, the more we actually legitimize and provide cover for OUR governments and THEIR wrongdoing. Highlighting the bad motives and bad actions of the official enemies of the U.S. and West in general is only joining the vast chorus of official and semi-official strategic communications and propaganda by the U.S., West, and their allies and clients. Just as we would expect e.g. Russian Federation dissidents and critics to focus on the doings and policies of "the Putin regime" and would not insist that they also, if not preferentially, mount critiques of the U.S., West, and the allies of the Russian Federations' official enemies, we ought not, and ought not expect, nay *demand*, that we and our fellow U.S. and Western dissidents and critics to focus on the doings and politics of THEIR (the enemies') regimes and governments. This is a simple moral principle, included inter alia in the New Testament and ostensibly articulated by Jesus of Nazareth. When Rodney King was filmed being brutally beaten by LAPD officers in the early 1990s, the job of critics and leftists in general, was NOT to join in in the demonization of Rodney King, and how he was "no angel". He could've been the Devil himself and it would still be a total waste of time to focus on THAT rather than the illegal, criminal acts of the LAPD officers. The latter acted in OUR (City of Los Angeles citizens/residents) names and using OUR delegated authority. We have a say in what they do, they're accountable to us. Noam Chomsky's praxis has never been about "virtue signaling" and being "compatible with" and "pleasant to" the U.S./Western powers-that-be and (manufactured) public opinion.

[@jchoatejr]

Good point

[@jakobson219]

"He and we have zero influence on what THOSE countries" I do have some influence since I have been sending money to humanitarian relief agencies in Ukraine. Beside that, you're right, we cannot influence directly but I have written to my Congresspeople to continue to support Ukraine with weapons and intelligence and increase sanctions on Russia.

[@4411825]

Fletcher completely embarrassed himself here and demonstrates he is nothing but a neoliberal shill and pro imperialist, so many falsehoods and outright lies!

[@dieterbarkhoff1328]

@@jakobson219 With Weapons????????????How many weapons can the US produce and give away, E.G. ISIS, Al Queda etc before it understands IT HAS NO FUCKING RIGHT TO MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF SOVEREIGN NATIONS?

[@jakobson219]

@@dieterbarkhoff1328 Ukraine is ASKING every day for those weapons because RUSSIA decided to meddle in the affairs of that sovereign nation.

[@elsonck2523]

What can we do? First off, stop hating the Russian people. They are like you and I. Their children are like our children and innocent victims of rampant imperialism. Their culture is rich and has contributed greatly to humanity. Don't become a participant in US idiocy. And don't seek to vilify Putin as the only culprit--there are two sides of equal criminality (as Noam has firmly stated in this interview).

[@jennyomalley7634]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYKXanSahL-GjNU

[@papinbala]

amen to that... Tell em!

[@rickgarza4167]

I hate Vladimir Putin and his cronies and Russian soldiers who continue to fight for Putin.

[@natashatodorovich9670]

Thank you for existing Noam! You make me believe in the existence of the truth. You are the truth.

[@adrian_V99]

Chomsky still has it!

[@alexv1269]

This antiwar guy awfully sounds like a prowar. Also seem to be not noticing Ukraine’s NATO aspirations since early 2000s

[@teardrop-in-a-fishbowl]

Aspirations! But never considered becoming a NATO member, bc states like France and Germany opposed Ukraines desires. This argument is pointless!

[@gilbertg7]

@@teardrop-in-a-fishbowl It's not pointless to stress that NATO will not garantee the neutrality of Ukraine

[@3rdreichball525]

@@gilbertg7 what? What does being in nato have to do with ukraines neutrality? Lmao! You dont have to sign a treaty, and join a club to be on the usa's side against russia. If ukraine wants defensive missiles and an american base for a defensive position russia is just gonna have to deal with it. Nato or not a soverin country has the right to do whatever it wants within its own borders. Putin is just still a freaking communist. He sounds like an american who called the cops on his neighbor to have their guns confiscated because he was afraid. Russians are being ran by a bunch of scared and pathetic people right now, and the only reason the right likes him is because of the cultural heart strings he pulls. Make no mistake he is a stalin footstep follower, and he would rebuild the soviet union in a heart beat if he had the power

[@JonathanRootD]

Ukraine is a sovereign nation and can pick who it wants to align with especially after being invaded in 2014. People forget there's been Democratic elections since then. Russia has no right to stop them and the US has no right to stop Mexico and who they want to align with. Nonsense arguments from Chomsky here. 🤦

[@gilbertg7]

@@3rdreichball525 I suppose the comic books you use as sources are very well documented. “What does being in nato have to do with ukraines neutrality?” Asking that question makes it pointless to discuss with you. “russia is just gonna have to deal with it” and it seems to being doing just that

[@binduchawla5156]

Thank ypu for sharing your thoughts Prof Chomsky

[@johnmilton2077]

thanks for the interview

[@alexv1269]

Also, why nobody mentions Ukraine invading Iraq along with US and Britain? Contingent wasn’t big, only about 5000 to 7000 troops, but it’s the intent and involvement that matters.

[@NeilJ894]

Gosh, I admit I didn't know that or hadn't thought to ask the question. Thanks for the post, that's a really good point.

[@mr1001nights]

Every NATO country invaded Iraq-and more. All criminal governments

[@casteretpollux]

Good point. Training and integration - anything else?

[@mr1001nights]

@@casteretpollux well I guess we can also say the Russians are getting some good training in Ukraine.

[@casteretpollux]

@@mr1001nights That is unlikely. Good training is not to be had in misconceived projects. What it is doing is giving the US a very good look at Russian military weaknesses and strengths- one of the US's many war-aims.

[@nimege]

Kudos to Chomsky for his patient and faithful replies to the totally one-sided, grueling and somewhat intentionally side-stepping questions/challenges.

[@Dave183]

Yes... thanks for your presentation...

[@alexmitchell8430]

Russia didn't seize Crimea FFS! Crimea had Russian military presence for a long time. The people of Crimea were therefore able to choose self determination as a consequence of that subsequent to the illegal coup of the democratically elected Ukrainian Government in February 2014. The outcome of the self determination was that Crimea voted to be part of Russia rather than be part of un undemocratically enforced NATO focussed Ukrainian government.

[@eltorocal]

Putin's Pro-Russian invasion by Forced Influence was No Choice in Crimea, Georgia and Most Definitely NOT in Donbas. Putin PLANTED pro-Russian lunatics in each area, just as he plays chess. But now, the drugs that he's been on, and the thirst for Power has taken him by surprise, as he let himself get out of control... he tried to get Drumpf to make LUNACY the new normal... and he couldn't wait to jump on Ukraine. He moved too soon... and without a proper plan. He is a murderer.

[@alexmitchell8430]

@@eltorocal Hi eltoracal. We have friends and family in Crimea and in Donetsk. I do not (currently) believe them to be Pro-Russian lunatics planted by Putin. In fact over the years they have occasionally been very pissed off about Putin as I am sure we all are some or even most of the time with our our respective "leaders". The majority of them were not happy at all with the coup of the Ukrainian government even though they were not particularly happy with the government at the time. We also have/had a number of friends and family in Odessa and here it is different; we have family and friends who were and are completely polarised on the subject... but not in Crimea or Donetsk as I said. Admittedly, me and my family have not visited Ukraine (or Crimea) since 2014 for perhaps obvious reasons and so I am speaking second hand since then i.e. only from people I know and not with/from my own eyes. Perhaps they have been fooling me all this time. I am not being facetious when I say this but to paraphrase a famous quote, can't remember who from right at this moment... 'it is much easier to fool people than to convince people they have been fooled'. If you genuinely have real information on 'Putin having planted Pro-Russian lunatics" in those areas, I would be very grateful if you could share that. As a more science based than faith based person, I am very happy to hear facts that will show my understanding to be wrong. Thank you.

[@miaash3870]

Noam is a gem in every sense! May this wonderful being stay healthy, strong , vibrant and fulfilled!

[@MrMuel1205]

He certainly loves blaming victims of genocide for their own genocide. Bosnians were massacred because of US policy, just like Ukrainians were invaded because of NATO policy, Neither was because Serbs pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing, or Putin purued conquest. Far from a gem, he is a monster.

[@bjarnesegaard5701]

Chomsky doesnt say anything about how the former USSR republics was themselves asking to join nato. Nato never forced anyone in. They wanted in because they hayed russia. Ask any pole or baltic person. So how can the US - or anyone - decide on the part of all these countries that they cannot join nato. Nobody wanted to invade russia, but they wanted out of an abusive relationship. So as much as I used to respect Chomsky - I am starting to see how he seem biased against the west, by avoiding to mention some things like the will of soverign countries. He also neglects to mention that putin is a dictator and has removed all opposition

[@rangamurali7667]

Bill, great interview, good questions, Noam lays out clearly the options out there for the western powers, the U.S. as the world isn’t a pretty place to keep fighting till the last Ukrainian putting his life on the line.

[@johanmetreus1268]

A slightly different perspective here... and that is that Ukraine might want to have a say in their own future, which also might be the reason they put their lives on the line at all. This conflict goes far beyond another USA/Russia contest

[@egbutler114]

It seems that the interviewer has a pro US position and wants to condem Russia while ignoring the aggressive behavior of the US. This is ridiculous.

[@theworld9623]

Maybe. Or he is parroting the prevailing narrative in order to get Chomsky's direct response to it. In any case, we get Chomsky's counter arguments, which is informative and handy 😉

[@marianotorrespico2975]

E.G. Butler - YET HE TRIED. | Yes, that is the intellectual problem with the Liberal American, standing in the middle of the road, in order to be neither for it nor against it, but loyal to the U.S.A.

[@kuriadams9138]

@@theworld9623 No, the interviewer has emphatically made that argument before in previous videos.

[@aj9973]

While yet further ignoring the prominent Nazi component that infiltrated the Ukrainian politics. The prominent nazi movement that was sponsored by US in its desire to drag Russia into a war.

[@notamurderer6226]

What aggressive behavior would that be

[@noreenryan1144]

Noam is brilliant, thanks to him and for bringing this interview to us

[@ryanchicago6028]

Thanks for the talk. Wonderful.

[@krzysztofbaus1311]

Good interview and good questions.

[@irahoppe3632]

People always forget Korea. It is estimated over 20% of the entire population of North Korea was killed in the US air campaign even though most of the fighting took place along the border. This was a country that never attacked America yet the Americans dropped more bombs on Korea than they dropped on Germany or Japan in WW2.

[@johnmilton2077]

According to Wikipedia: "The U.S. dropped a total of 635,000 tons of bombs, including 32,557 tons of napalm, on Korea.[21] By comparison, the U.S. dropped 1.6 million tons in the European theater and 500,000 tons in the Pacific theater during all of World War II (including 160,000 on Japan). North Korea ranks alongside Cambodia (500,000 tons), Laos (2 million tons), and South Vietnam (4 million tons) as among the most heavily-bombed countries in history, with Laos suffering the most extensive bombardment relative to its size and population."

[@irahoppe3632]

@@johnmilton2077 Thanks for that. I had a look at Wikipedia (who I donate to) and in their breakdown they said the British dropped 964,644 tons of bombs on Germany and the Americas dropped 623,418 ton on Germany (so, they dropped even more bombs on the rest of Europe).

[@luperamos7307]

@@johnmilton2077 Makes you think why they dropped so many on a civilian population in Germany, a country that was already on the verge of defeat. They kept it up even when they were already defeated. And we are talking about major population centers. Inner cities where civilians lived.

[@aerobique]

w t f .

[@irahoppe3632]

@@luperamos7307 The British in particular aimed at reducing German cities to Rubble, especially in city centres where the finest culturally significant buildings were. That suggests to they were no just trying to terrorize the German civilians, but to destroy their culture as well.

[@timmysmith9991]

Fletcher is such a liberal

[@ghandygh]

Liberal hack!

[@marimbadearco]

Cold War liberal

[@imeakpan]

Great segment!

[@binduchawla5156]

Noam is great - not to be missed - his thoughts

[@NN-ul4oy]

30:41 "You are missing the nature of international affairs!" 33:00 "...because they are terrified of our violent rogue state!" Great points, Noam! With this interview you hit it again and showed more comprehension than most about the Ukraine situation. 58:14 "I hope that you enjoyed this as much as I did." No, I don't think Bill enjoyed Noam's standpoints since Bill showed a lack of comprehension throughout the interview and didn't seem to accept or even understand Noam's easy to understand explanations. It was off Bill's world. Bill wanted to talk about evil Russia and Noam didn't let it happen for the right reasons! Thanks for letting Noam make his points, but for the way Bill lead this interview I would not subscribe.

[@jakobson219]

Yeah, most normal people find it hard to understand how the atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine are the fault of the US. It takes a particularly twisted mind to understand that.

[@NN-ul4oy]

@@jakobson219 jakobson troll showed up again... how sad it must be to earn money this way

[@jakobson219]

@@NN-ul4oyRussian troll showed up again. How sad that you must earn money this way.

[@randychase9931]

The way you attack Bill saying that he showed a "lack of comprehension" reminds me of how cryptocurrency fanatics say the same thing about people who think that cryptocurrency is pointless when it really is. I think Bill understood things very well. Putin IS evil and he has no legitimate reasons for invading Ukraine, or for allowing his soldiers to commit terrible war crimes without holding them accountable, or for burying his own soldiers in mass graves or even incinerating their bodies in order to cover up their deaths. The fact that Noam is so quick to talk crap about the US and the West but he can't even really call out Putin for doing MUCH MUCH worse things should tell you a lot.

[@NN-ul4oy]

@@randychase9931 Then YOU didn't listen to the video above: Noam was very well critizising Russia, stating, that the war is a criminal attack, that it would have been smarter for Russia to pratice statesmanship trying to ally with France and Germany. So, there it is, but apparently since you didn't listen and want to emphazise on state propaganda you tell us all the same story here. And what has cryptocurrency to do with it all? You are mixing up people you don't like. Noam is completely right, the United States have been committing huge crimes all the time and have little to no right to point the finger at the crimes of Russia, especially when the US was meddling as usual in the Ukraine as they did, ignoring all the warnings of smart people.

[@qamarkhan4531]

Ukraine didn't give up any nuclear weapons .... they never had any to give up. Those weapons were Soviet arms and owned/supplied by Moscow.

[@radicalsquare]

After the 2014 Maidan coup, can the Budapest accord terms even be considered valid considering the Ukrainian government became realigned with NATO?

[@4411825]

No they cannot and the interviewer is pure trash 🗑 and an apologist for the neoliberal world 🌍 order and American 🇺🇸 imperialism!

[@elbeiser]

So finally Mr Chomsky cleared out that , Ukraine is nor a rights nation, neither a sovereign state . They have to hear from Russia what is good for them. Like in Belorussia with Lukashchenko... It makes sense. President Bush promised not to extend NATO to the east since the Warsaw Pact was not existing anymore... But the truth - not the one that interests Mr. Chomsky - Is different. Without Warsaw Pact the menace over the Baltic, Poland, Bulgaria Ukraine and so on, would disappear!!! Belgium is not afraid of a snake attack of Andorra!!! France is not going to invade Monaco, and the Vatican Army is not planning an assault on Liechtenstein!!! The only threatening country with imperial dreams in Europe is Russia. With an economy similar to the Italian one, they want to dominate the Russian Empire of the Tsar Nicholas!!! Like Stalin before, this "little Hitler" claims that is a "defensive , unavoidable measure"... But now there is not a Munich Treaty of 1938. The invader is Russia, the aggressor is Russia, the fachist is Russia, and Ukraine wants freedom and West, wants Europe, not USSR... So Russia (together with Mr. Chomsky and the long list of sponsor organisations of this event ) will lose in the long run. There are no arguments, the lies of the past - "USSR is paradise, USA is Hell"- are not effective anymore. The just sing the stories of "Nazism and crimes in Donbass" that Mr. Lavrov spreads...

[@Mariamia-ev2qo]

The interviewer gets his narratives from the State Department?

[@freeintellect]

Chomsky seems to enjoy the pushback. Great interview.

[@kodowdus]

I would submit that much of the "pushback" was either redundant or misinformed (completely omitting the context of what happened in 2014, for example). kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKGkhIanr5abfcU

[@freeintellect]

@@kodowdus that’s why it’s great. It allows for the opportunity to clear up the record and provide context to what most people feel is a confusing conflict.

[@NN-ul4oy]

I rather had the impression that Chomsky felt like talking to Bill being an elementary school kid knowing nothing about what's going on and not willing to learn.

[@freeintellect]

@@NN-ul4oy Bill’s insistence on pointing the finger at Russia and his obsession with analyzing Putin’s mind is a distraction. Weeks ago he appeared in another debate where he says we must understand the mind of Putin (kzbin.info/www/bejne/mX6Wi4qLocdnraM). The other speakers disagree with him. Chomsky clarifies these points further here: youtu.be/

[@diankreczmer6595]

To the narrator I would say, you have To meet the speaker where he is at, and understand his point of view

[@erpthompsonqueen9130]

Thank you.

[@johnsondon277]

Why does Chomsky deny the former Warsaw Pact countries a right to determine their future ? He refers to them as "Russian satellites". He further refers to them as"Russia's red line". He engages in the same Cold War rhetoric he often derides- only from Russia's view. Ukraine and the rest of the former Soviet Block have a right to self determination.

[@ericvardek4108]

Truly, by arguing from a alance of power perspective that Russia was in the right (Crimea) and US wrong (fight to last drop of Ukrainian blood), Chomsky is merely falling back on his long-held disdain for US foreign policies, AND contradicting himself. Ah, the bliss of old age,....

[@deborawilliams6390]

This is exactly what I think

[@irahoppe3632]

George Orwell was right in his description of the system we live under.

[@jakobson219]

@Ira Hoppe do you live in Russia or China?

[@harrykirk7415]

@@jakobson219 The US is a police state that kills, incarcerates and tortures far more than China or Russia.

[@irahoppe3632]

@@jakobson219 Neither. I do not rely on the mainstream corporate media for information. Rather, I research subjects.

[@jakobson219]

@@irahoppe3632 sorry, based on your comment on orwell i thought you were living in a dictatorship.

[@jakobson219]

@@irahoppe3632 so I'm curious, what sources do you use to research, for example, what's going on in Ukraine?

[@paintedbird1020]

great talk, thanks

[@ericvardek4108]

And defending the Russian conquest of Crimea on the basis of balance of power really contradicts the principles of all of Chomsky's previous arguments against imperialism, eh?

[@drzeworyj]

exactly. his most hypocritical point. makes him come off as a pragmatic Henry Kissinger in my eyes, which is ironical.

[@luperamos7307]

Where did he defend it? Please refer me to the minute in this interview. He said why this made sense to strategists and explicitly said that he does not defend it.

[@marionreynolds7080]

Noam spoke the real truth - how rare to hear an adult approach to international relations. It’s called realism.

[@drzeworyj]

oh, we heard someone speak like this before. he was called Henry Kissinger. it's ironic to see Chomsky step into his shoes.

[@JoshuaFreakyVenomFan]

@@drzeworyj Henry Kissinger has blood ties to war crimes. Two completely different people.

[@vipermad358]

I have watched literally hundreds of interviews with Noam Chomsky and this is one of the best. Interviewer does a great job with follow up questions, unlike most others. Forces Chomsky to explain himself and counter more conservative takes.

[@realeyesrealizereallies6828]

There is no expantionist agenda in Russia, even according to our own intelligence agencies, Russia only acts defensively..Crimea houses 1 of only 2 of Russia's naval bases, the other is in Syria, which is completely left out of all conversations, which explains their actions..The people of Crimea overwhelmingly wanted to be part of Russia and voted accordingly, and Syria invited Russia within it's borders..America is committing war crimes by occupying Syria..Russia claimed article 51 when starting their military operation in Ukraine, which you also never hear about, and they make a legitimate case, better than any case America or NATO ever made, when claiming article 51 and destroying countries, furthermore, Russia could have destroyed all the infrastructure and industry like America does when they invade all over the planet, but they didn't do that, saving the lives of tens of thousands and the infrastructure, while losing many of their own soldiers lives as a result..This is an American proxy war, it's transparently obvious, as we've seen them over and over and over again..Ukraine is already a member of NATO if they possess billions of dollars worth of NATO weapons, training, etc.,Nato won't come to their defense with boots on the ground, but it is the weapons that Russia objects to..Russia destroyed the Nazi's in world war 2, there is a huge difference in Russia and the Nazi's in Ukraine, don't be ignorant...Look at the crimes the Nazi's in Ukraine are committing, including the crimes Russia is being blamed for, but is obviously innocent of...Russia tried for over a decade with diplomacy, including the Minsk agreement that was agreed to by America/Ukraine/France/Germany, but was never allowed to be implemented by America and the hardcore Nationalists (Nazi's) in Ukraine, instead they went forward with an ethnic cleansing campaign, killing 14,000 Russian speakers in the Donbass, and when Ukraines Azov battalion gathered on the borders of the Donbass to exterminate the population, is when Russia stepped in, which you never hear about either, but, all facts, not my opinion..This guy only wants to vilify Putin..He believes all the American propaganda..Russia is winning in Ukraine, they never planned to capture Kiev, they positioned their soldiers there so they could build a land bridge from the Donbass to Crimea, while keeping most of Ukraines soldiers tied up, when they accomplished that goal, they withdrew...Don't believe American propaganda, not only can't Ukraine stop Russia, but even if Nato got involved, they would be destroyed, according to our own militaries documents...

[@jennifersignsoflife1375]

It's obvious our gov't is aware of the impact that alt-platforms are having on the spread of truth and not only are they terrified by it, but they're seriously regretting the steps they took to implement all the censorship & algorithm suppressions they were once so proud of. Some YT content creators like, Jimmy Dore, Gonzalo Lira, The Duran & Russell Brand are doing great, but smaller ones put out by actual Chechen Special Forces, Patrick Lancaster, clips of Robert Barnes & Col. Douglas McGregor, and blocked channels from Russia, are garnering around a total of 15-20 MILLION views per DAY, bc they're being re-shared over & over across a multitude of platforms. This is almost 6th gen warfare. It's being fought by the ppl, not all those blue-checkmarks, who think they control everything. Or even, I hate to say it, this interviewer. He's poorly informed on the history of Ukraine, even the most recent. Great comment. Thanks for posting!

[@cheese186]

"Don't believe american propaganda" --> writes a wall of text with every single russian propaganda bit

[@kirkha100]

Thanks for your comment. The current narrative will/is collapsing for those who do their due diligence. The U.S., and the Western nations have gone insane. They will fight Russia to the last Ukrainian. Also interesting to notice the U.S. setting itself up profits as the E.U. takes the hit from the blowback from sanctions. I wrote, “the West” as if that was all that matters. That’s wrong and misleading. A very large portion of the world recognizes the profound untrustworthiness of the so called West, and especially the lies and betrayals of the U.S.

[@realeyesrealizereallies6828]

@@cheese186 Not a word of propaganda, how would Russia propagandize me, an American with a masters degree in political science and I spent a decade in military intelligence, you are a fool...

[@cheese186]

​@@realeyesrealizereallies6828 you are the fool if you think I will believe that you have military intelligence experience after all the nonsense you just talked about, like the "14,000 russian speakers being killed in the Donbass", or the "this is an american proxy war" but then to say "they wont dare get involved, since our own docs say we'd be destroyed". Not to mention how the Crimea referendum was held after the russians took over the land, with blatant violation of international legislation, and how the russians ignored the Budapest memorandum to begin with, since you care so much about Minsk. Or how corrupted were the relationships between Russia and EU members like Germany, literally buying very influential leaders like Schröder.

[@janosmarothy5409]

54:07 "but as a leftist, I'm not think about great power politics, I'm thinking sovereignty and self-determination" That's a very peculiar kind of leftism. Self-determination is fundamentally a bourgeois-democratic principle, not a socialist or leftist one. Leftists don't start from looking at the lines on maps, they start from the struggle of class against class within the context of global economy. Self-determination is _not and never has been_ an absolute good for leftists -- that's a later deformation of principle by Stalinists and social-chauvinists -- it is only interested in self-determination to the extent that it becomes a jumping off point for class struggle and, ultimately, for socialist transformation of society.

[@lunaridge4510]

the left has morphed and been corrupted to the max. But this interviewer is not a leftist, unless one considers a neolib to be an actual liberal. By 'self-determination' he really means a capitalist State, even an artificial state like Ukraine. The fact that the Kiev regime prohibited Russian language in the East where everyone speaks it seems to be unknown to him. The fact that Kiev regime bombed the industrial powerhouse like Donbass back to the stone age for 8 years---not important. The fact---as Noam kept saying---that Crimea is Russian-populated and people there (Russians) wanted to be "annexed"---the idiot interviewer simply pretends he doesn't hear Noam. He is just a racist Russophobe!

[@MartyCrabneck]

Bill (50:20): "Up until 2014, Ukraine was not interested in getting into NATO." Wikipedia: "During President Viktor Yushchenko's first official visit to the United States, President George W. Bush declared: "I am a supporter of the idea of Ukraine's membership in NATO." In a joint official statement by the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States, it was said that Washington supports the proposal to start an intensive dialogue on Ukraine's accession to the NATO via a MAP. In April 2005, Viktor Yushchenko returned to Ukraine's military doctrine the mention of Ukraine's strategic goal - "full membership in NATO and the European Union." The new text read as follows: "Based on the fact that NATO and the EU are the guarantors of security and stability in Europe, Ukraine is preparing for full membership in these organizations." As in the previous version, the task of "deeply reforming the defense sphere of the state in accordance with European standards" was called "one of the most important priorities of domestic and foreign policy." On January 20, 2006 in Budapest, following a meeting of defense ministers of Central European countries - NATO members - Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia (which was attended by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Anatolii Hrytsenko) - it was announced that these states were ready to support Ukraine's entry into NATO. As stated, a necessary condition for this should be the support of this step by the Ukrainian society and the achievement of internal stability in Ukraine."

[@stavroskarageorgis4804]

It really was probably the nadir of Bill's "performance". And no, Bill was not being the "mouthpiece" of "questions the audience might be wishing to ask". One can phrase even such questions in ways which make it clear one does not endorse them. Bill appears to believe the nonsense premises he put forth.

[@ajisenramen888]

Olaf Sholtz tried to broker a “neutrality” deal with Ukraine in Late Jan/early Feb. This was to be Guaranteed by birth Putin and Biden. This was rejected by Zelensky who had his popularity fall since his election to the low 20%s He needed to, IMO, to keep pushing the NATO carrot in front of his people to survive politically.

[@jericheatum9474]

I very much enjoyed this program tonight. A great reminder of our realities. Eyes wide open 😳

[@foofkanon]

Wow Noam from the Spanish civil war as a kid to now, what a gent.

[@javierbravo-mx]

¡Saludos from Guanajuato, Mexico, para Bill Fletcher Jr., Aviva Chomsky, professor Noam Chomsky, and all my dearest comrades from #LiberationRoad!

[@luperamos7307]

Do you know of any good media/channels to follow in Mexico or Latin America?

[@BradfordHills]

The interviewer was missing some key points in us meddling in the overthrow of the ukraine elected govt. Noam had to point that out. Interviewer seems unaware of some basic essential facts.

[@Guitarpima]

It would appear the real news has been compromised. I have been noticing this sort of thing recently.

[@jennyomalley7634]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYKXanSahL-GjNU

[@geoffpoole483]

Russia has no right to invade another country. That's it.

[@zonda1968]

Norm really educated. Bill. Bills thinking is why the US feels it has a right to do what ever it wants. Bill wake up and smell the coffee.

[@pezeron24]

Excellent debate.

[@lukebieniek9069]

This was good. Noams' final words on Ukraine were enlightening yet perhaps puzzling to some. Many ad campaigns and mainstream medias are promoting this idea that we need to support Ukrainians. This is a very troubling contradiction. 🤔😵‍💫🤖 "We dont have much time"

[@ZigZagHockey]

The Ukrainians could be supported by giving donations for the purpose via a Russian embassy or a Russian organization set up for the purpose - then it would reach the people in the east of Ukraine who have been living under siege and artillery bombardment for more than eight years - and not end up in the hands of the Kiev government, who are responsible for the attack on the eastern region. The fighting is now anyway contained within the east and south east of Ukraine, the Russians having withdrawn their forces from other areas - never having attempted to occupy either the far west or north west of the country.

[@drzeworyj]

@@ZigZagHockey get out of your ponyland as soon as possible. you've mistaken wolves for ponies.

[@kiwitrainguy]

56:00 - I favour the second option: Prohibit all nations bordering Russia from ever becoming members of NATO. These would then be buffer states, that would not only work in Russia's favour but also the West's favour. The US doesn't seem to want that, they seem to prefer option 1 which is war so that their arms manufacturers can get more business. The only winners in any war are the arms manufacturers.

[@diankreczmer6595]

The narrator cannot see the role of the USA in invading countries but General Eisenhower, himself said beware the USA military industrial complex

[@GrayPJalow]

I have questions: did Ukraine cut off water to Crimea? Is Russia sending ships carrying water to Crimea? Did Russia ask Ukraine for cooperation building a land bridge to Crimea for transporting potable water?

[@GrayPJalow]

@Умка thank you for this info.

[@rodgercodger53]

Mr Fletcher's assertion that Ukraine "agreed" in 1994 to give up "their" nuclear weapons is factually inaccurate. Although those nuclear weapons were indeed located in Ukraine when the Soviet Union placed them there, they were NEVER under the operational control of the Ukrainian government or its officials. That operational control was ALWAYS in the hands of the Soviets, and after the dissolution of the USSR, the hands of the Russian Federation. Ukrainian officials NEVER had any of the launch codes for any nuclear weapons situated on their terrain; thus they had no actual control over them. Those launch codes, and thus the actual control of those weapons, was ALWAYS in the hands of the Russians immediately upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Listen to most any recent interview of Scott Ritter for greater illumination of the FACT that Ukraine never had ANY actual control over any nuclear weapons on their soil. So those weapons were never "theirs" to "give up".

[@povilas007]

If the nukes are on your soil you can do what you want with them, needs some expertise, but everything is possible.

[@stevesiegelbaum3534]

@@povilas007 No. When the former African colonies of France and Britain gained independence, much of the infrastructure remained under French or British control. In fact in some instances, France petulantly removed even basic infrastructure (e.g. bathroom plumbing) from the country.

[@povilas007]

@@stevesiegelbaum3534 if France or UK would attack those African colonies do you think that infrastructure would still belong to Western countries? :) Since Russia's aggression in 2014 Ukraine could have prepared to use those nukes.

[@rodgercodger53]

@@povilas007 Given your reply, Povilas, I have to wonder if you fully understand the significance of what possessing the nuclear launch codes mean. Nuclear missiles are designed so that it's impossible to actually fire them unless one has the codes that absolutely MUST be used in order to launch them. Lacking those launch codes is akin to trying to fire a gun without the firing pin: NOTHING will happen. Thus the Ukrainians essentially had guns located on their soil that were physically INCAPABLE of actually firing or functioning. You can't compare nuclear missiles to other infrastructure because they simply don't function in the same way.

[@povilas007]

@@rodgercodger53 yes, I am not a nuclear specialist. But that is software, if you have the hardware then in all these years you could gain an expertise how to change the codes. For example, if you have someones laptop, you can't use it because of password, but if you change the HDD you are good to go. You don't have to invent a whole laptop from scratch. If those nukes were completely unusable, why did other countries were so keen for Ukraine to give them up?

[@awahlmubdi4372]

Sometimes to get the truth is to play Devil's advocate. Nice interview

[@radicalsquare]

Ukraine only obtained Crimea as an administrative move by Krushchev to consolidate power as new head of the USSR when it was presumed Ukraine and Russia would be the same nation. Crimea was never part of Ukraine otherwise, not even during its brief independence post WW1.

[@moonrakingmilksop]

Hey Bill. Sounds like you had a hard time letting go of the official party line in the US and accepting the reality of the history and present moment.

[@markusschellenberg4684]

Good questions from the interviewer.

[@Mikey-mike]

Good interview

[@drzeworyj]

looking for justifications of an invasion beyond Putin's fascist ideology and his fears of a second Kazakhstan in Russia... is like Noam Chomsky mirroring Henry Kissinger on the left. and I am leftist, have no doubt. but this kind of thinking is my biggest problem with the left that has never experienced what Russia has been throughout centuries, first-hand.

[@jakobson219]

@drzeworyj this is not really the left, it's just Noam's homies plus a bunch of Russian and Chinese trolls. Chomsky by now is a caricature of himself, repeating the same record over and over. We need to focus our actions on helping Ukraine and defeating Russia, not on this sinister clownery

[@NN-ul4oy]

Wait until you experience what the US can do to you first hand. (us prisoners, Iraqis, Afghans, Libyans, etc)

[@jakobson219]

@@NN-ul4oy in the meantime the Ukrainians are experiencing the atrocities of the barbarian Russian army first hand. And thanking the US for the intelligence and weapons support allowing them to resist Putins invasion. But don't concern yourself with such things, continue to whine about the US.

[@NN-ul4oy]

@@jakobson219 Blabla by a paid troll. Your message is counted, thank you and good bye.

[@jakobson219]

@@NN-ul4oy 😉 give my regards and a kick in the ass to Putin and your other Russia handlers

[@smartestmansays2157]

Bill Fletcher Jr: You've laid down the responsibility of the US but I want to focus on the criminality of the Putin regime. Jct: As if we couldn't tell your narrative is Putin bad, NATO CIA Nazis good.

[@4411825]

He’s a neoliberal shill and pro imperialist and Choamsky was weak also!

[@fionuala7]

All bad boys in the class, for the last 20 years of wars have achieved nothing only the destruction of countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, now Yemen, and Ukraine. Glorified murder on all sides...no good boys in the class...people would want to wake up "dying for your country" now means dying for National Interest otherwise called Globalized multi-nationals interests. There are nearly 8 Billion people in the world...but our future is in the hands of about 600 ...and that is Democracy..well not from where I am sitting

[@NN-ul4oy]

Yes!

[@justgivemethetruth]

Why do you have a comma in the Bill Fletcher, Jr. That is the old way of doing it, but if you do do it that way, you also have to put a comma after the Jr..

[@mauragemeliaris8940]

What was happening in the Donbas and Lugansk area in 2014?

[@kurtaikido2889]

Good interview good interviewer

[@benmccoy7156]

I love Mr. Chomsky and by God he knows. War brings about more war. End of Comment.

[@DiscoBrianDavis]

How about a discussion between Noam Chomsky & Timothy Snyder? Can you guys arrange that? THAT would be an INCREDIBLE discussion.

[@kuriadams9138]

What both of these people are missing, is that Russia's economy is dependent on supplying natural gas to Europe and that Ukraine is a major corridor for the transit of natural gas. Going back to about 2010 you can find plans from US companies and think tanks to build a gas pipeline from Caspian Sea area through Azerbaijan and Georgia, and then through the Black Sea, and finally Ukraine. This would be a severe blow to the Russian economy and likely end in its destruction. Having a pro-US government in Ukraine is the first step toward this goal, and so Russia will do everything in its power to prevent that.

[@casteretpollux]

You know that stopping the Russia - EU Nordstream 2 Gas pipeline was one of the prime objectives in the US leading to this war?

[@AbtinX]

@Black Jock at a huge cost to n already weakened Russian economy. Now they simply have no choice but to rapidly look east and south for exports. I don't think he's wrong. What I don't understand is how such intelligent people could make so many obviously erroneous mistakes. I don't see this war creating anything favourable for Russia geopolitically. The peace will be very bad for them in the east.

[@shaundudley4576]

@@AbtinX Of course Russia did not want this, they knew how harmful and dangerous this action would be for them. They only did it because they saw no other way out. Whether we agree is irrelevant. Putin has the responsibility to defend his people and his country. A fully armed Nato proxy in Nazi run Ukraine was what they saw happening with all diplomatic avenues blocked and a clear aggressive agenda by the most vicious warmongering Rogue State in history. No responsible leader would have allowed such a state of affairs to go that far. Putin did what he had to do. He would have been negligent of his duty to do otherwise.

[@AbtinX]

@@shaundudley4576 you could argue that no responsible leader would take humanity so close to nuclear war either.

[@shaundudley4576]

@@AbtinX He is not pretending to be the hegemon of the world that would be the Americans. The fate of humanity is not his remit. He is responsible for his people and country and right or wrong that is his first and last calling.

[@kraz007]

Bill, you just need to do your homework and not just repeating media talking points. Start with the Budapest agreement - Ukraine never had nuclear weapons of their own, they hosted Russian-controlled missiles. Then google Maidan ... Honestly, it's probably a lost cause with you.

[@sadbuttrue358]

It seems to me that the agreement for Germany reunification under NATO no expansion condition came before the agreement to not keep nuclear weapons in ucraine. And it has been sistematicaly not respected by the west