Power essentially works in a certain way, and the process of keeping the people in a state of passivity by entangling them in the web of national ideology can be known by reading the book titled 'Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky'. It is a collection of interviews given by Chomsky. Many long conversations given from the 1980s to the end of the 1990s have been compiled in this book.

It is not a book that can be read quickly. I have read it slowly. I have tried to understand Chomsky's words. Where he has looked at many common facts from a completely different perspective. Chomsky's narratives will force the reader to think.

Noam Chomsky is a fierce critic of the United States. In most cases, he speaks against the hawkish policies of the US. So, did he limit himself in this book by only remembering the glories of the United States? The answer is no. Not only the US, but Noam Chomsky has also spoken in his own way on issues such as world politics, economy, media system, and neo-imperialism. He has emphasized the most on the process by which the government blinds and deafens the people through mindwashing and brainwashing.

The language of Chomsky's own books is of a high level. So in some cases, it is difficult for a naive reader like me to understand. But in the interviews, Chomsky is a completely different person. He has made it easy to talk about difficult and complex issues and given the reader the opportunity to be enlightened. Of course, it is a worthy book.

The work is a compilation that mainly consists of Q&As. In it, Chomsky travels around the country, sharing his perspectives.

The key message that can be derived is that the policy of the US government generally serves the interests of the political and business elites. Additionally, the media largely advocates for the same interests.

Political activism might be the sole means to assist in countering the power of the elite. This is something that Chomsky not only participates in but also recommends.

Chomsky's ideas presented in this work offer valuable insights into the complex relationship between the government, the media, and the elite. By highlighting the need for political activism, he encourages individuals to take an active role in shaping the future of their society.

Overall, this collection of Q&As provides a thought-provoking exploration of important issues and serves as a call to action for those who are concerned about the state of democracy in the United States.

In writing, Chomsky can be extraordinarily dense and ponderous. His works are often filled with complex theories and convoluted arguments that can be difficult for the average reader to penetrate.

However, when he speaks, he becomes engaging and captivating. His lectures and discussion groups are known for their energy and enthusiasm, as he passionately expounds on his ideas and engages with his audience.

Understanding Power is a collection of transcripts from Chomsky's lectures and discussion groups. By presenting his thoughts in this more accessible format, the book makes his ideas available to a wider audience. The transcripts offer a unique window into Chomsky's mind, allowing readers to follow his train of thought and gain a deeper understanding of his views on politics, society, and language.

Overall, Understanding Power is an important contribution to the field of Chomskyan studies. It provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in exploring the ideas of one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.

One might be misled by the title, for this book delves into much more than just the mechanics of power.

In it, I discovered Chomsky's thoughts on multiple subjects: the media, activism, climate change, and so on.

There are so many blatant facts that jump out at you that this book required several breaks for me to meditate on its content.

Ultimately, this reading seems "indispensable" as it sheds light on numerous essential social questions.

I emerged from this reading transformed, as rarely a book has been able to do.

It offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking perspective that challenges our assumptions and forces us to think deeply about the world we live in.

The author's insights are not only intellectually stimulating but also have the potential to inspire action and positive change.

Whether you are interested in politics, sociology, or simply in understanding the world better, this book is a must-read.

It will open your eyes to new ideas and perspectives and leave you with a greater appreciation for the complexity of the issues we face today.

The statements about power presented here are profound. Power is often brutal, and those who possess it tend to use it in a brutal manner. Moreover, those who have held power for a long time have likely been brutal for just as long. Noam Chomsky's work delves into power and its usage by the United States, as well as language and how our usage distorts our perceptions. His views are straightforward yet rarely simple. For example, his take on whether Nixon or Humphrey would end the Vietnam War sooner shows his nuanced thinking. The book is filled with people asking Chomsky ideological questions and receiving practical answers. He also has interesting perspectives on capitalism and revolution. While he isn't always right, his "does this make sense?" filter catches many potential mistakes. Overall, "Understanding Power" is a fascinating read that offers new insights into history and the mind of the author.

  "I never wanted to be a radical; it's just that when I started checking the footnotes I couldn't stop."

He isn't perfect, of course. His view of businesspeople seems somewhat one-sided, and he may not fully understand capitalism. However, these minor flaws do not overshadow the book's brilliance. The central point remains: the American government doesn't hate or love its people; it sees them as resources to be used. Americans have blinders that prevent them from recognizing this, and we have a history of violence, sometimes for good reasons and sometimes not. While other countries are similar, studying the United States is crucial for understanding power in global politics. Chomsky is a smart and caring individual with a coherent view of the world, and his work is well worth reading.

The power dynamics between governments and people have always been complex. Once governments lose the ability to control people by force, they often turn to controlling their minds through the propaganda model. In a totalitarian society like in "1984", people can be made to believe anything if they are isolated. Removing individuality is a key aspect of fascism, which then limits people's access to information. Propaganda often thrives by abusing impoverished people.

Classical economics has its own set of principles. If one doesn't have independent wealth or can't sell their labor on the market, they are considered to have no right to exist. The government has slowly eroded laws that benefit the poor until they take over completely. Neo-liberalism has had a significant impact on the economic and social landscape. In the early 19th century, labor was mobile while capital was immobile, but now the opposite is true, yet we are still taught the old assumptions.

The market has become detached from reality, and the US has had some of the highest tariffs in the world. The suburbanization of the US in the 1950s was a significant development. Cotton was like the oil of the 19th century, and automation has given more control over the workforce. The Industrial Revolution wouldn't have been possible without cheap cotton. Life has become easier compared to 40 or 80 years ago, but there is nothing in mainstream culture to tell us that we have succeeded.

There has been a revolutionary change in moral values. Power has never been and will never be in the hands of the people. The goal should be to extend the domains of popular power and break down centers of concentrated power. The American Revolution had a libertarian ideological structure behind it, but it was only for a select group of white men. We would consider such actions as nazism if another country did the same. This totalitarian society was supposed to be "for the people", but to some extent, this was achieved.

When any victory is won, we will always discover some other form of oppression that we were unaware of. Popular movements have expanded freedom of speech in the past, but it can disappear if it's something nobody likes. The US is unique in protecting freedom of speech, and radio has become a public forum. However, there are also issues like Chinese prison labor and Indonesia's US-backed genocide. The US has been involved in various controversial actions around the world.

The nation state system was established through bloody warfare and ended in 1945. Colonization was extremely destructive, and the concentration of power remains a significant issue. The founding fathers of the US hated democracy, and the rich who invest and fund the country essentially own it. The real work in every historical movement is done by the unknown. The electoral process in the US is just a surface phenomenon, and the US violates international labor regulations. Popular involvement in policy making is crucial, but it is often difficult to achieve.

Middle size corporations can influence state governments, and sometimes we have to accept and use illegitimate systems. We live in a world of absolutist power, and conspiracy theories are very evident, especially on the left. Every editorial decision can be seen as a conspiracy. Conspiracies have flourished in modern American history, and the Kennedy administration gave an illusion of shared power. Human nature is considered corrupt, and society will always have oppressors and the oppressed. However, over time, there has been progress in understanding human nature, and there are opportunities to think about things we didn't need to think about before. The fundamental principles of moral values are important, and we should be cautious of things based on false principles.

A large portion of the American population believes that their children are worse off than them. The only rights people have are the ones they can buy on the labor market, and the economy can sometimes seem like a fairy tale. For the top few percent of the population, incomes have skyrocketed. The union has been broken through various means, and the labor has been divorced from the workforce. Elite planning and corporate greed are major concerns, and there is a continuous class/propaganda war. The civil society in the US has collapsed to some extent, and the US can be considered a fundamentalist country with extreme irrationality in its population. It has been on the verge of fascism for a long time. France's actions in Haiti, such as stealing its resources, are also examples of unjust behavior. If one remains marginalized, there is not much history to worry about, but this is a sad reality that needs to be addressed.

The book mainly talks about the political and social situation and the foreign policy of the United States. It presents a strange image of the United States, the most powerful country in the world.

The United States, which always claims to have the mission of safeguarding world peace, is actually the main country that causes wars, conflicts and divisions. The United States, which has been saying that it has been fighting against terrorism for the past decade, is actually the country that nurtures and supports terrorist, autocratic and genocidal regimes around the world.

The United States, and Noam Chomsky himself is also proud of this, is the country with the broadest freedom of speech in the world, but the entire media system is extremely one-sided and deeply manipulated. (Just like Nick Davies' book "Flat Earth News", the media today is just a sophisticated tool to "guide public opinion" and protect the capitalist class that holds property, and no longer has the task of providing accurate news).

The United States, the country with the largest GDP in the world, is actually the country with the highest poverty rate, homelessness rate and infant mortality rate among developed countries, and the social welfare system is very weak. (It is also remembered that last year there was news that the US government cut the "Food Stamp Program" policy, pushing millions of poor people into a difficult situation).

Modern America still has a huge gap between whites and blacks and Latinos. The punitive policies applied to these people are always harsher than those for whites. In today's United States, there is still a great war going on since the founding of the country, which is the war between the government and the people.

Noam Chomsky is a remarkable figure who exhibits astounding clarity and integrity in his work.

His thoughts and ideas are presented with such precision and lucidity that they are easily understandable even to those who may not be well-versed in the complex fields he delves into.

Moreover, his integrity shines through in his unwavering commitment to truth and his refusal to be swayed by political or ideological biases.

What truly sets Chomsky apart, however, is his encyclopaedic knowledge. He has an in-depth understanding of countless cases, which he uses to substantiate his arguments with great force and说服力.

Whether it is in the realm of linguistics, politics, or social theory, Chomsky's vast knowledge allows him to make connections and draw insights that others may overlook.

His work serves as a valuable resource for scholars and thinkers alike, and his ideas continue to have a profound impact on the way we understand the world around us.

Intentions Good, Views Dangerous: Understanding Power is, without question, the most comprehensive and compelling presentation of Noam Chomsky's ideas. Reading this book will change the way you see the world.

If you are interested in Chomsky, it is likely that you are a noble person who genuinely cares for others and yearns for a better world. However, beware, reader, and make sure you choose the right vehicle for your hope. While his intentions are for a peaceful, safe, and healthy world, Chomsky's political writings have several flaws.

He systematically assumes conscious malevolence without evidence, ignores context, and romanticizes Third World struggles, regardless of their goals. Let's briefly examine some of his convictions on the War on Terror. After the September 11th attacks, he immediately blamed them on U.S. Middle East policy and Cold War efforts. His presumption was that if the U.S. changes its behavior, terrorist attacks will cease. But Islamic terrorists have a much broader and more radical vision.

The linguist also described the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan as a conscious "silent genocide," wrongly predicting that millions would be severed from food supplies. He focused solely on the negative aspects, ignoring the liberation of Afghan women from a life akin to slavery. Omitting what is significant to emphasize his misperceptions about American motives is a constant in his writings.

If you are already entrenched in his thinking, at least admit that he might be wrong and read his critics. After a clear-eyed reassessment, if you still think he's on-point, then all the best. But if you reevaluate his "wisdom," you will have saved yourself from confusion and despair.

Chomsky's views become perilous in their blind, wholesale demonization of the United States. His fear and anger are projected onto U.S. "elites," resulting in often flat-out hatred. We don't know what he would do if he were President, as he avoids that question. And why doesn't he include himself in the "elites"? These questions point to a core issue: if he can't assess his own status, how reliable are his assessments of other things?

Good and evil exist in the world, but Chomsky can't distinguish between them. The U.S.A. is not perfect, but we must recognize the good. Chomsky's writings are more about blame than anything else. Understanding Power should be retitled "Understanding Blame." Steer clear and take heart, reader; there is hope in this world, and your country is good, but you won't find it in Chomsky.

Chomsky is truly a national and international treasure. It is deeply saddening to think that his life won't endure for another 50 years. There is an abundance of excellent content here, and for now, I'll single out one passage. Chomsky was speaking no later than 1999. He said, "Actually, I think that the United States has been in a sort of pre-fascist mood for years. We've been fortunate that every leader who has emerged has been a crook. People should always be strongly in favor of corruption - I'm not joking about that. Corruption is a very good thing as it undermines power. For instance, if we have someone like Jim Bakker, that preacher who was caught having affairs with everyone and defrauding his followers - those kinds of people are fine. All they desire is money, sex, and to rip people off, so they're never going to cause much trouble. Or take Nixon, for example: an obvious crook, he ultimately wasn't going to create that big of a problem. But if someone shows up who is like a Hitler-type - just wants power, is not corrupt, is straightforward, makes it all sound appealing, and says, 'We want power' - well, then we'll all be in extremely bad trouble. Now, we haven't had the right person yet in the United States, but sooner or later someone is going to fill that position - and if so, it will be highly dangerous." So perhaps our saving grace is that Trump is a corrupt grifter.

First, I read Chomsky as a teenager. At first, I couldn't believe what he was saying. His ideas seemed so radical and different from what I had been taught. I was skeptical and hesitant to accept his views.

However, as I delved deeper into his work and started checking the footnotes, something changed. I discovered that his arguments were well-supported by evidence and research. The more I read, the more I became convinced of the validity of his ideas.

I never wanted to be a radical; it was just that the truth was staring me in the face. Chomsky's work opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about the world. It made me question the status quo and consider alternative perspectives. I realized that sometimes, being radical is necessary in order to bring about positive change.

This is an absolutely amazing collection of Chomsky's work.

For me, it wasn't the kind of book that I could sit down and read cover to cover in one go. Instead, it was a book that I had to slowly work my way through, trying to wrap my mind around the vast amount of information he provided.

In fact, I read this book with a highlighter in hand, as if it were a college textbook!

Noam Chomsky is truly brilliant, and this is my favorite book of his that I have read so far. I have a couple of other books by him as well, but I feel that this one presents his views in the most comprehensible and readable format.

I still have the intention of reading his book on Israel and Palestine. However, I first need to get myself to put down those "fun" novels for a while!