I really don't like Chomsky at all, and am not defending him. He practices the same kind of intellectual dishonesty we saw in, for example, Byrd in the Senate debates, taking a fact and twisting it and distorting it into something so far from the truth that it's unrecognizable.
It's true, however, that US foreign policy has made some incredible blunders, and sometimes done the wrong thing for the wrong reason. That general point is true, and we need to examine our consciences diligently every day.
That's why, when you paraphrase Chomsky, his opinions sound reasonable. You repeat the underlying facts without all the distortions and innuendos.
One of the things Chomsky leaves out is that, while the US is busily meddling in other countries' private affairs, it's because the other sides are also meddling in those same affairs. It used to be the Soviets, and sometimes now it's the Chinese, and Chomsky is on the left and would like to see the left win, and it pisses him off because we thwarted them. And he can't imagine why we would do that, except that we're evil.
His world view is a bizzaro world reflection of yours and mine. He sees the same things we see but draws mirror image conclusions.
So it's interesting to read, in very small doses. And some of the things he says that refute the official government line are true. |
