Chomsky: U.S. has 'extreme contempt for democracy'

Noam Chomsky
RawReplay
Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:55 UTC

In a new video, MIT professor Noam Chomsky discusses the nature of U.S imperialism as it compares to campaigns of violence carried out by other nations and groups.

Ultimately he drives the point home, suggesting the U.S. has an "extreme contempt for democracy" at home and around the world, and is not above resorting to violence to protect its interests.

"As long as the dictators back us, it doesn't matter what the population thinks. If there's a campaign of hatred against us among the populations and the dictators are in control, everything's fine. Euphoric headlines."

The interview is part of a series published by Histories of Violence, a "multi-media forum dedicated to exploring the theoretical, empirical and aesthetic dimensions to violence." The full site is planned to launch on Sept. 11, 2011.

This video is from Histories of Violence, published to YouTube on August 31, 2011.

Source: Stephen C. Webster

Comment: Chomsky avoids many very touchy topics and often misses the crux of the matter, but now and again, he manages to write things that are meaningful for individuals at the first stage of awakening.

Reader Comments

ozman · 2011-09-02T23:13:33Z

I disagree

Maybe the Federal Family has a disgust for Democracy,but the people don't.The people still believe in Democracy ,but the Federal Family DOES NOT!The Federal Family DOES NOT CARE what the people want,only what they can get from the people.We have had such a long string of puppets as POTUS that's all that others can see.It's not the people,it's the ones that has the control because they do not listen to the people anymore.The current POTUS is a prime example.Remember he said he would have a transparent GOVT. and remember pelosi's statement about the health care bill,you will have to pass the bill to see what's in the bill???What is up with that?Where is the transparency??????

inverse · 2011-09-02T23:57:31Z

Democronism

Democracy works when you have a number of parties that have differing approaches to running a country. When those parties start to see power and money as more important than governance then you have a single government with each party taking turns to lead. This is democronism, its a fake democracy as people think they have democracy but they really have no say, the fact that the sheeple still get to vote fools them into not noticing. It does appear to be a natural outcome of a long period of democracy, a few hundred years. The sign that it is happening to your democracy is when you struggle to tell the parties apart, although don't be fooled by the minority parties as they are just mop ups for giving an outlet to the more radical population (far left, far right, independence)

Homo Ferus · 2011-09-03T00:10:01Z

ANOTHER STRUCTURAL ERROR ...

ANOTHER STRUCTURAL ERROR
OF THE BOURGEOIS JACOBIN OF CHOMSKY:

"U.S. has 'extreme contempt for democracy' "

NO:
IT IS NOT THAT U.S. has 'extreme contempt for democracy' "
...IS THAT CAPITALISM IS A PLUTO-CRACY,
NOT A DEMO-CRACY...
THEREFORE, AND NATURALLY,
CAPITALISM AND DEMO-CRACY
ARE TWO CONTRADICTORY TERMS
...AND BETWEEN THIS TWO TERMS,
ALWAYS, ALWAYS,
THERE IS..."'extreme contempt"

WHEN, WHEN, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN
THIS ELEMENTARY POLITIC CONFIGURACION?

CoreDog87 · 2011-09-04T04:28:06Z

Capitalism

Capitalism is an economy where the workers are allowed to own the means of production and to keep that which they make themselves. America has not been a capitalist country for almost 100 years.