Product Description

In his latest interview collection, Noam Chomsky offers insights into the institutions that shape the public mind in the service of power and profit. Whether discussing U.S. military escalation in Colombia, the attack on Social Security, the rise of HMOs, or growing inequality worldwide, Chomsky shows how ordinary citizens, if they work together, have the power to make meaningful change.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #628131 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"'One of the radical heroes of our age... A towering infellect.' The Guardian; 'A superb polemicist who combines fluency of language with a formidable intellect.' The Observer; 'Must be read by everyone concerned with public affairs.' Edward Said"

About the Author
Author of numerous critically acclaimed books on linguistics, U.S. foreign policy, and social change, Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor at MIT. David Barsamian is the producer of the award-winning syndicated radio program Alternative Radio.

Customer Reviews

Accessible, Enjoyable Chomsky (Who Would Have Thought?)
David Barsamian is the cult superhero/guru of informative underground radio. He has also been doing cool interviews with prominant Leftist (read: critical) intellecutuals like Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn for a long time now. And thank god! Barsamian asks essential questions, and provides long-tenured intellectuals like Chomsky a venue for expressing their views in non-dissertation format. In other words, Barsamin gives us an accessible Chomsky, in plain, straight-forward, non-technical language. Who would have thought? If you are like me, and you always wanted to know what in the hell Chomsky is talking about (Try reading "The Culture of Terrorism"), this is your book. It even has a nice index with references, unlike some of his other books ("Profit Over People" has no footnotes for the first three chapters!!!). Lastly, this book also provides us with a sketch of Noam as human being. Apparently now that he is a grandfather, Chomsky has started spending time with young children and making appearances in public places, like baseball stadiums!!! Picture it: Chomsky consenting to sit for two hours without books, eat manufactured hotdogs and watch corporate-sponsered displays of wreckless, winner-take-all competition a la a Boston Red Sox game. A bit ironic, wouldn't you say? But as he says in the book, even hard-nosed intellectuals "need an annual breakout into the real world." Anyway, the book was enjoyable and engrossing. Definately worthy of being added to the canon.

Issues it covers: Activism and public outcry against the MIA, as well as a description of what the MIA means (note: you can find a better description of the MIA and WTO challenge in David Suzuki's new book, "Good News"); history of America's involvement in East Timor; discussion of the land mines, agent organge, dioxin, and napalm (see Sandra Steingraber's "Living Downstream" for important scientific look at what dioxin actually does to the human body - rest assured it is not good); the privitization of the Internet; critique of modern economic theory; an analysis of international debt peonage; as usual, discussion of America's dirty roll in Guatamala and other Latin American coutries; analysis of intellecutual property/patenting rights (better discussed in "Against the Grain," by Lappe); critique of the Health Care system; interesting biographical information (e.g., he taught Hebrew out of his house in the early days); penetrating discussion of Amartya Sen's book, "The Black Book of Communism" (if Communism is responsible for 100 million deaths, how many deaths has capitalism claim?? -- very original stuff here); interesting facts about Plan Colombia (slightly different version of what he says in "Rogue States"); critique of the UN and Nato; discussion of the Isreal/Palestine issue (his unstated speciality); a critique of media propaganda and Freedom of Information Act (What freedom? What information?); critique of privitization (in schools, in the health industry, etc.); very fascinating analysis of "socialized risk" and "externalized debt," that is making the public pay for things it didn't purchase, ask for, or need in the first place; analysis of the meaning of Seatle Riots; and facts on American aid to genocidal or human-rights-violating nations, among other things.

Setting a Challenge
Noam Chomsky in "Propaganda and the Public Mind" tells his interviewer, David Barsamian, early in this fascinating, fact-filled book his objective as the man who has been frequently called "America's leading political dissident." Chomsky tells Barsamian that it is not his objective to persuade readers to follow him. Instead, he seeks to open up a path of inquiry wherein those readers investigate for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

One of the world's foremost linguists, Chomsky explains how language has been used to serve the interest of the individual presenting a message. This tendency has been enhanced manyfold with the inroads of technology, from radio on to television, to the current period of cable TV and a never ending procession of talking heads seeking to entertain more than intellectually enlighten. Chomsky illustrates how Newt Gingrich and his Contract with America public relations campaign sought to manipulate minds through the use of supercharged terminology in a manner that he contends would have left British political visionary George Orwell roaring with laughter.

A thorough reading of this work attunes one to how Chomsky approaches his research, and how those interested in researching important political topics might proceed on their own. On the subject of international politics, particularly military actions, Chomsky relies significantly on Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. He devotes strong emphasis to the East Timor tragedy and the appallingly insignificant attention it received from the mainstream media. Chomsky also laments how little attention was given to the assassination of Bishop Romero in El Salvador compared to any putatively comparable events occurring in nations of the former Soviet bloc or Cuba.

Chomsky leaves no doubt that he is his own person. Contrary to a criticism made of him that he is an ideologue first and always without a consciousness toward pragmatic political considerations, Chomsky makes the point that voting considerations need to be oriented toward a practical result. A decision can be made to support a particular candidate not because Chomsky holds a basic affinity toward him, but because a practical goal can be realized by supporting that individual.

Chomsky's encyclopedic mind and affinity for research are communicated impressively in this series of interviews with Barsmaniam. He communicates the need for the interested political participant to observe the entire picture after undertaking research.

For a life more illuminated...
Love him or hate him, Noam Chomsky serves a vital role to any thoughtful and/or politically minded individual in the United States today. By focusing on what you're NOT hearing from the major media sources and political powers, Chomsky engages his audiences by exhaustively cataloging his sources and letting them make their own decisions on what they need to do with the information.

This book represents some of the most accessible Chomsky that you can buy. Comprised of a series of interviews with Alternative Radio founder, David Barsamian, "Propaganda and the Public Mind" does exactly what you would expect it to do; exposing propaganda as a weapon used by the powerful, how it can be recognized, and showing the extraordinary impact normal people can have when they work towards the right sort of changes. Even while discussing grave issues, Noam manages to convey his faith that positive action is alive and well. As a lovely bonus to the interviews themselves, the resources section of the book will help you get as deeply into any of the subject matter as you dare.

I was thrilled by this book. If I were a doctor, I would prescribe an essay a day (which, unfortunately would only last a week for this book) as an antidote for the daily news.