Noam Chomsky is undeniably a very intelligent and useful person. He has often made valid points and has contributed significantly in various fields.

However, the book he wrote might not be as engaging as one would expect. It could be that the content is presented in a rather dry and uninteresting manner.

Despite this, we should not discount the value of his ideas and the importance of his work. We can still learn a great deal from his research and analysis.

Perhaps we need to approach his book with an open mind and be willing to invest the time and effort to understand his concepts.

Overall, while the book may not be the most exciting read, it still holds great potential for those who are interested in exploring the ideas and theories put forward by Noam Chomsky.

A bit scattered, to be sure. This can be attributed to the oddity of publishing a series of interviews that have been heavily expanded after the fact.

However, there is a wealth of good information distilled in this short book. Contrary to what some detractors have claimed in other reviews, Chomsky is not a ranter. He does have some stories that he uses as examples more than once, but these are by no means rants.

Anyone who has heard him speak, watched his speeches on videos, or listened to his radio interviews knows this. He is calm, thoughtful, and yes, opinionated. But he is usually more intelligent than those who resort to ad-hominem attacks against him.

In fact, he even states somewhere in this book that he simply ignores insults. He is focused on presenting his ideas and engaging in meaningful discussions, rather than getting caught up in personal attacks.

Overall, this book offers valuable insights into Chomsky's thinking and is well worth reading for those interested in his work.

Typical Chomsky.

He has always been a controversial figure, and this book is no exception. I wouldn't have minded some more footnotes and an expanded bibliography. After all, in a work that deals with such important and complex issues, it's crucial to have a solid foundation of research and references. But what can we really expect from a book that was clearly put together in a hurry, copied-and-pasted immediately following 9/11?

Contrary to some of the very frequent criticisms I have come across against Noam, he does not hate America. Nor does he support tyranny abroad. These are weak arguments made by blind überpatriotic Americans who have completely bought into the propaganda that America is always good and everyone else is evil, and that everything America does is for the most humanitarian and pro-democratic reasons. As far as I can see, he hates hypocrisy and he hates assaults on human rights. These are two very worthy things to hate.

That being said, the book itself is somewhat lacking in excitement. It is derived from a series of interviews that took place within a month of 9/11 by various reporters from around the western world. As a result, the statements made by Noam tend to be repetitive, which can make the reading experience a bit tedious. However, if we were to remove any of this repetition from an already short 120-page book, it would probably turn into a 75-page book. There are numerous important points made in the text, things that are too far removed from the public consciousness and deserve to be brought back into focus. Unfortunately, that is probably never going to happen, or at least not in this generation. It seems that it always takes future generations to look back and condemn the actions of their forefathers, rather than examining their own deeds or even those of the previous generation.

Overall, while this book may not be a literary masterpiece, it does offer some valuable insights and perspectives that are worth considering.

There's not a whole lot to say really, other than the fact that I breezed through this. And Chomsky was just being his usual self, which means he was spot-on in his arguments regarding the United States.

He has always been a vocal critic of American policies, and in this particular piece, his points are well-taken.

The way he dissects the actions and motives of the US government is both enlightening and thought-provoking.

It makes one question the true nature of power and the role that the United States plays in the world.

Whether you agree with him or not, there's no denying the impact that his ideas have had on the political and social landscape.

Overall, it was a quick read that left me with a lot to think about.

The term "Conspiracy theory" is often used in an attempt to undermine and blur the factual insights that emerge from every institutional audit. This is precisely why we often tend to dismiss such institutional audits lightly, simply labelling them as conspiracy theories, just as the media might want us to do.

Muhammad SAW, as well as Yeshua/ISA/Jesus, were also regarded as conspiracy theorists during their arduous struggles to convey God's message. However, this does not imply that the message they were preaching was a conspiracy. It was merely the way people in those times tried to defend their beliefs, cultures, and values from the institutional audits that Muhammad SAW and Yeshua/ISA/Jesus proposed.

We should be cautious not to too quickly label something as a conspiracy theory without carefully examining the evidence and the context. Institutional audits can provide valuable information and help us to understand the truth. We need to be open-minded and willing to consider different perspectives, rather than simply dismissing something because it doesn't fit with our preconceived notions or because the media tells us to. By doing so, we can avoid being misled and make more informed decisions.

An older book catches our attention. It is a compilation of interviews that were conducted in the months following 9-11.

No doubt, Chomsky gets it right in this book. However, it is advisable that one should probably read "Manufacturing Consent" before delving into this one or any other work of Chomsky of later vintage.

And here's my thought: if you were to limit yourself to reading only one book of his, "Manufacturing Consent" would indeed be the best choice.

This is because it likely provides a more comprehensive and fundamental understanding of Chomsky's ideas and perspectives, which can then serve as a solid foundation for further exploration of his other works.

So, before picking up this particular compilation of interviews, it might be beneficial to first familiarize oneself with the classic "Manufacturing Consent".

My sister mentioned that she was reading this on GoodReads. So, I checked my bookshelf, and there it was - unread.

I truly loved the Q & A format of this book. I have a great admiration for Chomsky because of his clear thinking and straightforward answers. The balance he presents in his assessment of who is involved in terrorism and the facts that support his perspective are also very impressive.

I can identify with his assessment and his view of the world.

However, as I read this book in 2012, after 9/11, I feel that it is tiring that this event continues to be so central. Yes, it changed the world - or at least some people's world - but for most of the world, it was not really something new.

Overall, it is a good read, and I would recommend it to others.

My summary:

The book consists of a compilation of interviews and talks that Chomsky offers regarding his responses to the events of 9-11. The most crucial differentiation he makes is that the United States should be regarded as a terrorist nation, indistinguishable from the nations or individuals accountable for the attacks. He presents numerous instances of the U.S. terrorist record and how it is not classified as terrorism simply because it is perpetrated by the U.S.

He discusses Bin Laden and the motives underlying the attack. Essentially, he contends that Bin Laden and other extreme Muslims do not have an issue with the people of the United States and the expansion of capitalism, but rather with the U.S. government and its manipulation and attempts to control Muslim nations. He compares our labeling of terrorism to that of previous powerful nations in history, such as Nazi Germany, where military opposition to our agenda is deemed as evil terrorism rather than terrorism by the weak against the strong.

Some of the numerous examples of U.S.-funded terrorism involve the origins of groups led by Osama Bin Laden in the late 70s and 80s, which were financed by the U.S. to combat the Soviet Union (in Afghanistan, etc.). When these groups no longer served a purpose, they were abandoned, often with severe consequences later on (i.e., they continued to pass on the U.S. training to their new followers and then turned against the U.S.). He also mentions the issue of Nicaragua and U.S. intervention there, which was labeled as terrorism by the U.N. After being ordered to pay reparations to the people of Nicaragua, the U.S. promptly disregarded the resolution and persisted with its previous agenda.

Chomsky also brings up other cases of supporting terrorist factions (like the Northern Alliance in Bosnia) when they align with our agenda, despite using extremely brutal methods and often being considered barbaric fanatics. He links all of these examples of U.S. terrorism to the root cause of 9-11 and the general animosity towards the U.S. worldwide. Overall, the world is not angry at the people of the U.S., but at U.S. policy that employs any means necessary to secure resources for itself at the expense of other (generally weaker) nations.

A document that, evidently, should have been read many years ago.

It gives us a different perspective, and sometimes even a raw and aggressive one, of the global situation and the position of the United States and its allies, all in relation to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Chomsky is a very severe critic of imperialism, of hegemonic domination, of injustice in international practices, and the most interesting thing is that he criticizes from his stance as an American.

He offers data, quotes, references that are essential to understand what was happening in the world in 2001 and how the WTC attacks influenced what is happening today.

It is very interesting to see how his analysis provides a deeper understanding of the complex events and their far-reaching consequences.

His work challenges us to think critically about the actions and policies of our own country and the role it plays in the international community.

By examining the past, we can better prepare for the future and strive for a more just and peaceful world.

Overall, this document is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the events of 9/11 and their implications.

Was this book ever simply titled September 11? In contrast to 9-11. Unless, of course, here in Australia, where they recognized it as September 11 because we follow the correct day/month/year order. Anyway, it's yet another excellent book by Chomsky. Unfortunately, for my intellect, a great deal of it goes over my head. But it's Chomsky, so we have to deal with it and be grateful that not everything in this world is dumbed down. Chomsky's works are known for their depth and complexity, challenging readers to think critically and question the status quo. While some of the concepts may be difficult to grasp, the effort is well worth it. His insights into politics, society, and language are invaluable and can help us better understand the world we live in. So, even if we don't fully understand every word, we should still appreciate the genius of Chomsky and continue to explore his ideas.

This book does an outstanding and concise job of shattering the myth that the US was an innocent victim in 9/11 and that its response, the so-called "War on Terror," was just and necessary. It achieves this without relying on so-called "conspiracy theories."

Personally, I believe those "conspiracy theories" are a vital part of the damning case against the US. However, many people are not yet ready to explore that aspect, and this book is perfect for them.

Chomsky reveals that far from being "anti-terrorist," the US has actually been the leading practitioner of state terrorism for a long time and is the only state to have been convicted by the World Court for it. The alarming thing is that none of the examples he cites, such as Nicaragua, Al Shifa, Beirut, etc., are deep, dark, and dubious secrets. Instead, they are all common knowledge and part of the public record, the kind of information you can find on Wikipedia. How is it that we don't know about them? People think I'm anti-American, but I never even knew this stuff.

Chomsky also points out that there were many alternatives to invading Afghanistan (and later Iraq, which he wasn't even considering at the time!), and I find myself thinking, "Well, of course! Why didn't I ever think of that? We must have been brainwashed or something!"

The main drawback of this book is that it consists of a series of interviews that ask similar questions and thus cover much the same ground repeatedly. However, for many, this is a message that needs to be emphasized over and over again.

Noam is an extremely intelligent individual.

It is truly a pity that people constantly pose such uninteresting and ineffective questions to him.

This book repeatedly establishes (as it consists of a series of interviews with Noam after 9/11) that the United States has perpetrated numerous acts of international terrorism, yet somehow manages to remain blameless.

Reading this kind of book is always a challenging task for me, particularly as an American citizen.

I simply cannot fathom the heinous atrocities that have been committed in the name of God and greed.

It makes me question the very values and actions of my own country.

How can such things occur and go unacknowledged?

It is a complex and disturbing topic that requires deep reflection and examination.

I hope that more people will read books like this and start to understand the true nature of the world we live in.

Perhaps then, we can begin to make positive changes and work towards a more peaceful and just future.