Noam Chomsky in conversation with Alan Meban

Noam Chomsky in conversation with Alan Meban
In this conversation the celebrated American linguist, philosopher, social critic, and political activist discusses the current threats to democracy and ways to build solidarity and progressive politics.
Often described as the father of modern linguistics, Noam Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy, and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He is a Laureate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona and an Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is the author of more than 150 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media.
Alan Meban is a Belfast-based freelance journalist and arts/politics blogger (the face behind @alaninbelfast) who reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic, and political events; delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; FactCheckNI director; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.
Learn more: chomsky.info
imaginebelfast.com/

[@iart2838]

Prof Chomsky will not be interviewed by MSM , so glad he's willing to spread his brilliant analysis on independent podcasts. He is my teacher.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

actually he got on MSNBC for the 2nd time recently

[@millamulisha]

Noam Chomsky is a genocide denier and a Khmer Rogue sympathizer.

[@willchristie2650]

You won't see him on Fox, Newsmax or OAN, but other sane networks still bring him on.

[@twistedoperator4422]

Shout out to the interviewer.

[@paulpell]

Noam is a National Treasure - actually, more than that: a Global Treasure.

[@backwardthoughts1022]

when he dies we die

[@jotaere100]

I often wonder who would pick up the torch but I can’t come up with any names and I always end up wishing we could keep his brain alive somehow.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@backwardthoughts1022 when you live no one else lives

[@ruiwenzeng5807]

I only get to know Noam recently unfortunately and fortunately. I want to read all of his books.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@ruiwenzeng5807 my high school buddy told me to read Chomsky. I saw his documentary Manufacturing Consent around 1992 or 1993. Then I spent a couple years only reading Noam Chomsky. It was a life changing experience - literally very intense. Then I cited Chomsky in my activist research while I was a graduate student. I also included Chomsky in my master's thesis. I then got a nice long email reply from Chomsky in 2001: From: Noam Chomsky Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 To: Drew W Hempel (by way of Noam Chomsky Subject: Re: Minnesota Dear Drew Hempel, God save us from our friends -- not for the first time. I'm a little surprised that Brokaw would credit a source like that. Surely he wouldn't in the case of anyone who falls within approved doctrinal bounds. You're quite right about activists not being willing to read. I get a good measure of it when publishers send sales records or in the signing frenzies after I give talks. In both cases it's overwhelmingly the small pamphlets with interviews, etc.; easy reads, and short. But it's not just activists. Same with academic scholars. It's very rare for them to go beyond the limits of the guild, a practice far more pronounced in the social sciences, history, etc., than in the sciences, something I've observed from a lot of first-hand experience in the last 1/2-century. It's too bad about Guerin-Rocker, and in fact all of the rich literature on anarchism. Contemporary anarchists -- at least those who use the name -- seem to divide, mostly, between people who don't want to read and those who are immersed in often arcane scholarship. There are exceptions, of course, but the tendencies are noticeable. It was quite different in the days when workers education was a normal part of everyday life for great numbers of people, and labor-based media were common fare. No plans for reissue of At War with Asia or For Reasons of State, much to my regret. In fact, they were scarcely looked at in the first place. Wrong story. Even left academics don't want to hear such things, and it went -- and goes -- beyond the interests of most activists. How far the anti-war movement was from understanding anything that was going on was revealed pretty dramatically by the reception of McNamara's awful memoirs -- actually welcomed by leading figures as a vindication of their stand. Few could comprehend what an incredible display of apologetics it was. Wrote a few things about it, which I noticed could not be understood even by left academics, for the most part. The Party Line is much more influential than many think. Thanks for sending along the excerpt from what you've been writing. Interesting, and well done I think -- but then, I would. I've read some of what Zerzan has written, under various names. Occasionally, out of curiosity, I've written brief letters asking if he could supply some of the sources for particular quotes, which I know he has invented (though I didn't say so). I'm constantly promised that they'll be coming. They won't, of course. This is just a silly game, in my opinion, defaming the good name of anarchism -- not for the first time; there's a rich history of that. Noam

[@jamesatkins888]

What a mind! The World needs to be hearing far more as Noam - up there with the greatest minds of our time.

[@millamulisha]

Noam Chomsky is a genocide denier and a Khmer Rogue sympathizer.

[@ttacking_you]

The world already knew what he's saying *AMERICA* needs to be hearing far more of him

[@jamesatkins888]

@@ttacking_you Sadly its not just America that needs to wake up - Here in the UK there are millions who are oblivious to what is truly going on.

[@ttacking_you]

@@jamesatkins888 Yeah I forgot. You're our primary propaganda consumer, _my bad_ about that, that's a colloquial "mea culpa" . (I don't know how erudite you people really are)

[@coracka]

we need to crowdfund a decent internet connection for this guy

[@imaginebelfast]

We'd second that!

[@twistedoperator4422]

Noam has evolved into his most powerful form, Noam 'The Wise' Chomsky.

[@Chowringhee]

Noam at his best - just one on one conversation. Thanks!

[@millamulisha]

Noam Chomsky is a genocide denier and a Khmer Rogue sympathizer.

[@hanisidewalkart4087]

It's a joy.

[@lukenasir]

Noam Chomsky, God Bless You Sir May God Give You Healthy Life and Strength Your Courage, To Me You are a Saint of God, Stay Bless

[@stoa7302]

Well said Zizou, Ole.😀

[@ryanchicago6028]

Noam Chomsky! This is quite an honor! Alan, if you're currently reading - you might also like to hear about the Irish Famine from Christine Kinealy. That has had a great impact on me and my family who are of Irish descent. Best, R

[@ahmetdogan5685]

Hello Noam, still burning like Sun 😎

[@michaelrch]

Still the best mind that I have ever seen. What a wonderful man. Thank you Noam for the extraordinary work you have done and continue to do. You are a ray of hope in a dark world.

[@imaginebelfast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stoa7302]

Ditto Rich. Noam has always been humble and non-egoistic. He always stays focused on the issues, it's never about him. A truly democratic and egalitarian personality. If a 12 year girl with a youtube channel asked Noam for an interview , Socrates would say " sure okay.😀

[@37Dionysos]

THANK YOU

[@david80johnson]

Prof. Chomsky points out that only a few countries are actually benefiting from prolonging the war in Ukraine (the primary beneficiary being the US). He points out that it is now pretty much clear that Russia will not capitulate, and as such the only way to end this war is through a negotiated settlement. Some now argue that the war should go on in order to improve Ukraine's negotiating position, which is dismissed by Chomsky. Ukraine is suffering badly as the war goes on. "So let's tell the truth: we have to fight the war, continue the war, to weaken Russia and strengthen ourselves at the cost of everyone else, mainly Ukrainians."

[@rodriguezdiazlaura]

So glad to see this great thinker. Thanks you.

[@millamulisha]

Noam Chomsky is a genocide denier and a Khmer Rogue sympathizer.

[@igorDobrowolski1]

Beautiful

[@medicuswashington9870]

I am grateful to Professor Noam Chomsky for his sharing and commitment. Meritocracy is the future.

[@fabiengerard8142]

Well, it ‘should’ be so… Or, rather: it ‘should have been’ that way, actually… I’m afraid, though, my generation (b. 1956 -) has been attending ‘live’ the sudden agony of humanism, for the last two decades. And the Tech revolution clearly won’t help at all move on in any righter - more reasonable - direction. On the contrary, it will just accelerate at light speed the final chapter of the Homo ‘sapiens’ saga. Until the global crash into the Wall. 🫥

[@TheToltec]

Professor looks like he is getting younger ❤️

[@marcseghatol6583]

Brilliant

[@titussamuel2440]

Good conversation. Chomsky rightly concudes, we have new corporartion, mesmerizing technology, but we don't have new man yet. Old world rigid man has big limitation. He may want an old world too soon.

[@kiffarcher8808]

very good talk thank you ...although lots of sound blips cutting out words... ?

[@imaginebelfast]

Yes, Mr Chomsky didn't have great internet connection unfortunately.

[@Kaditsu-Chronicles]

Diplomacy Please AND We need World PEACE and Compassion Now❤

[@cynthiagarnham1157]

Like Hitler's deal with Prime Minister Chamberlain? Hitler's peace treaty with Stalin! Americans promising " No more NATO " expansion. Just words, which the mightiest , will ignore when it suits them!

[@cynthiagarnham1157]

I would love to see Peter Hitchen, have a chat with Noem!

[@Sagittarius-81]

POLL: What does Chommers, want? How, how do we counsel him, so he knows, how to get it?

[@bp6820]

5:00 Can someone explain?

[@AbtinX]

What is your question? The battle of Fallujah?

[@barquerojuancarlos7253]

The naming of the USS Fallujah (a 45T amphibious assault ship) commemorates the battle of Fullujha, Iraq, when the US military used chemical weapons (white phosphorus), depleted uranium (its lasting effects, cancer and new born abnormalities, have been documented by medical researchers), incendiary bombs, destroyed hospitals killing civilians and children. Things to be really proud of, huh? A documentary film about all this: "Fallujah, the hidden massacre" 2005

[@chubbychops1000]

@@barquerojuancarlos7253 thank you.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

two-headed babies USS

[@terencedavid3146]

Most are struggling just to make ends meet. What with everyday essentials like bread, eggs, milk, onions etc etc more than doubling in the last few months. Not to mention soaring energy prices n high rents. It's understandable that reading is not high on their list of priorities for most who are living just above the poverty line. Mind you, this is our so called progressive "Civilised Western society".

[@fabricabernard7881]

always interested by the facts and clear behind the motives of US foreign diploma y which have been based on two principles pretending killimg they vilains for internal propaganda killing or supporting regimes that do the killings for economiv reasons quietly

[@ttacking_you]

Chomsky's rapping , here. But, instead of expositing local caper's,imbroglio's and G-craft, he's breaking down the whole global dynamic.

[@ttacking_you]

Yeah I've been thinking about that , the only difference between PBS news hour and the major commercial networks is with pbs the captains of industry cut out the middleman (i.e. the industries, themselves) other than that , what's the point?

[@danielbotero8068]

J.O.Y -> Ave Noam