To: arun gera who wrote (11423 ) 11/24/2001 4:12:19 PM From: ratan lal Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 281500 >>I wouldn't think that India would be feeling particularly proud of associating an obvious idiot (obvious that is, in the aftermath of the WTC and the celebrating crowds in Kabul) with an honorary degree from one of their better universities. >> Oh I guess its ok for the American Universities to grant honorary degrees to that same idiot and for one of the best US universites to make him a professor and pass on his knowledge to the young innocent minds?? The Americans must be really proud!.Chomsky's preeminent standing in the world scholarly community is attested to by honorary degrees from the Universities of London, Chicago, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania; from Loyola University of Chicago; SwarthmoreCollege, Delhi University and Bard College. He delivered the prestigious John Locke Lectures at Oxford, England in 1969; the Bertrand Russell Memorial Lectures at Cambridge, England in 1970; the Nehru Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, India in 1972; and in 1977 the Huizinga Lecture at Leiden, The Netherlands. The power of his intellect is admired by all who know him personally, who have read his works or listened to him lecture. But it is his simplicity, lack of pretence, his sweetness (yes, sweetness) as a person and his uncompromising rejection of pious hypocricy that attracts so much affection. I cant stand people whose only contribution may be a few words on SI and those words are to call some person who has taken the time and effort to write over 70 books and travelled the world giving lectures and discussions. In my book that person has achieved a lot more in his field than i have in mine. I may disgree with him but I would NEVER be so insolent as to call him an idiot or even presumptuos enuf to think that he is one.