This book has truly had a profound impact on me. It has, in a sense, forcefully blown open the firmly closed doors within my mind regarding the way narratives are constructed in society and by those who hold power.

Specifically, it highlights how mainstream media is often utilized as a tool for this purpose.

Moreover, it serves as a rather shameful reminder of the fact that the majority of us have willingly traded our crucial liberties. Instead of being actively engaged in matters that truly matter, we have become more preoccupied with activities such as checking sports scores or indulging in gratuitous consumption.

Arguably, this book can be regarded as one of the most significant contrarian political works of the 20th century. It challenges our preconceived notions and makes us question the status quo.

It forces us to reflect on how we have allowed ourselves to be influenced and manipulated by the powerful through the construction of narratives.

Overall, it is a thought-provoking and eye-opening read that everyone should consider.

Sannkölluð uppljómun hefur verið í völdum nýlega. Manni hefur verið skapið næst að kaupa fullt af eintökum og dreifa þeim út á götu. Þetta hefur valdið miklum áhyggjum og óeðlilegt aðgangi fyrir fjölmenn.

Það er mikilvægt að skoða hvernig þessar aðgerðir hafa áhrif á samfélagið og hvernig þeir geta verið stjórnaðar betur. Einnig er nauðsynlegt að taka tillit til öryggis og réttlætis við þessar aðgerðir.

Með því að gera ráð fyrir þessum aðgerðum og taka tillit til þeirra verður hægt að tryggja betri samfélagslegu og efnahagslegu þróun. Það er því mikilvægt að taka þessa viðfangsefni alvarlega og leita að gagnlegum lausnum.

So far, this has been the most thought-provoking book I have read this year.

It is one that I mention to my friends every time the conversation shifts to politics.

As a first-time reader of Chomsky, I found this book extremely appropriate as an introduction to his ideas regarding various topics. It is also a good introduction to get oneself engaged in politics in general.

From US foreign policy (past and present), his view about the ideological apparatus of the media, to his perspective on anarcho-syndicalism and workers' rights, and also - and I found this particularly interesting - his despise for the so-called 'intellectual elite'.

This last aspect made me respect him even more as an intellectual and an activist. Gatekeeping knowledge is something that the intellectual elites engage in masterfully, mostly to keep the status quo that guarantees an alienated and subservient population.

At first, I was concerned the book might be a little outdated, as it was published shortly before 9/11. However, it is amazing how Chomsky's ideas uttered in the 80s and 90s are so resonant in the modern political climate. It is also disturbing to see that some worst-case scenarios he predicts in the late 90s are already a reality.

This book has truly opened my eyes and made me think more deeply about the world we live in and the role we play in it.

Noam Chomsky is an extremely valuable resource when it comes to introducing and educating oneself about the dark side of capitalism. He also provides crucial insights into America's history of atrocious foreign policies towards countries that do not conform to American interests and political ideologies.

It is of utmost importance for more Americans to embrace alternate perspectives of their country and capitalism. This is because these aspects are completely overlooked in the traditional education system.

NOOOOOAM CHOOOOOMSKY. His work challenges the status quo and forces us to question the accepted narrative. By studying his ideas, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world we live in and make more informed decisions.

Chomsky's contributions to the fields of linguistics, politics, and social theory are significant and far-reaching. His books and lectures have inspired generations of students and activists to think critically and take action.

In conclusion, Noam Chomsky is a vital figure in the ongoing struggle for a more just and equitable world. His work should be studied and debated by anyone who is interested in understanding the complex issues that face our society today.

In this book, Chomsky provides detailed insights.

He specifically focuses on the US, but his observations can be applied to many countries.

He reveals how a nation-state, in the pursuit of corporate gains and power preservation, indulges in misinforming its people, actively destabilizing other states, manufacturing wars, and removing opposition through underhand measures.

The list of objectionable undertakings by the US is extensive, and the book details the motivations and payoffs behind them.

Some of the salient points that I found valuable include:

1. The Military-Industrial complex: The book highlights how going to war has become an industry rather than a defensive necessity.

The extraordinary profits reaped by the weapons industry due to wars have led the US to destabilize regions worldwide and overthrow democratically elected governments in the third world to safeguard its financial interests.

2. Consent in a Democracy and the need for Independent Media: Chomsky emphasizes that consent, a powerful tool in a democracy, is ineffective without informed consent.

He resents the influence of propaganda on public opinion and stresses the importance of an independent media not motivated or backed by a single entity.

He would likely be excited by the recent rise of alternative media.

3. Socialism: Chomsky attempts to debunk some of the propaganda against socialism by providing more context on significant world events.

Socialism has been maligned by industrialists due to its non-profit-seeking nature.

The US has made a concerted effort to slander socialist economies.

Chomsky explains that Soviet Russia was actually a capitalist arrangement, and its downfall was due to a lack of democratization.

4. Populism vs Elitism: Many present-day political commentators recognize the divide between populism and elitism.

This divide is sometimes manipulated by media houses into a typical Left vs Right narrative.

For example, a populist position反对战争, while an elitist position支持战争.

Chomsky analyzed this divide well 20 years ago.

Overall, this book was a great read and made my long college commutes more productive.

Having only read snippets of Chomsky here and there, I initially believed this book to be a broad and accessible introduction to his thoughts on the issues for which he is most renowned in pop culture, namely those related to politics and power. Regardless of one's ultimate stance on Chomsky's opinions, it is crucial for modern democratic citizens to understand him. His knowledge of global current events, encompassing political, social, economic, and military aspects, is prolific and unrivaled. Moreover, his analyses of these phenomena are valuably thought-provoking.

However, in my opinion, Chomsky does tend to err on the side of the conspiratorial at times. Although he constantly claims to be simply describing "how things work" in government, he often attributes nefarious motives and disingenuity to individuals and institutions without considering their actual guiding principles. This creates an air of lofty malevolence around institutions and power arrangements, potentially alienating the reader. Political change necessitates an intimate understanding of one's opposition, and the dark picture Chomsky paints, while sometimes accurate from a certain moral democratic standpoint, ultimately obscures the true nature of the powers-that-be.

That being said, it was an extremely informative read, presented in an entertaining and engaging conversational style. Chomsky's thoughts on the media are the transcendently valuable core of the book, and his ideas on global politics and power are original and worthy of careful consideration. If Chomsky's aim is to provoke critical thought and discussion, then he has achieved this goal with this book.

**Perpetuating Brainwashing under the Guise of Freedom**

Often, information exists in a strange paradox. In a sense, it is there, yet it might as well not be. This is because people are so thoroughly indoctrinated that they are blind to it. The book in question is a complex one, difficult for one to fully digest. However, it undeniably compels the reader to engage in deep thought and critically evaluate the information that is constantly being fed to them. Sometimes, it is an extremely challenging task to actually use one's brain and question the convenient truths that we have been indoctrinated into believing since childhood. His views on educational practices are truly chilling. Moreover, the analysis of world politics, mainly as carried out by the USA but not exclusively, is bone-chilling. This book is indeed indispensable. I will continue reading and exploring its profound insights.

This should be a requirement for every college student in America.

As long as we read the great Noam without the filters of "Do I agree with this man?" and "Does he justify my already held beliefs?", we will be fine. I read Noam precisely to have my ideas challenged, to gain a perspective on things that I rarely hear elsewhere, and he supports his claims. He has evidence, as the kids say.

Not at all creepy or terrifying, I assure you, is how Noam predicted the rise of an authoritarian leader who appealed to the far-right Christian base. NOT AT ALL TERRIFYING I FEEL GREAT. But seriously.

If you want to understand American imperialism, how neoliberalism has screwed working people in America (and it's not just the Republicans who are to blame, friends), how transnational monopolies and predatory capitalists, backed by - wait for it - taxpayer money! have exploited brown people all over the world, you should read this. It explains a lot about how we got to this crumbling empire.

This book is a transcription of talks conducted by Chomsky in the 90s. People pose all kinds of questions to him.

Nevertheless, the principal topics revolve around American politics, both in its foreign and domestic aspects. As Chomsky expounds on every single US intervention, the sciences, and just about everything else, he sounds like a living lexicon.

Moreover, he possesses a remarkable faculty for dissecting problems and elucidating everything in a highly comprehensible manner.

His world view appears rather cynical at times. I have sometimes wondered if his interpretations are a bit far-fetched. However, usually, he has quite sound logic to buttress his statements.

This is an extremely interesting book as it offers profound reflections on numerous topics. Whether one agrees or not, Chomsky compels you to think. He explicitly states that he does not wish to tell people what to do. Instead, he desires people to open their eyes to the power structures surrounding them and to inspire people to organize. For a plethora of quotes from this book, check out Tara’s excellent review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A very eye-opening book indeed!

It contains some historical assertions that initially seemed so outrageously far-fetched that I felt compelled to look up a significant portion of the work's bibliography. As I delved into the 450 pages of references, they started to appear more and more legitimate, leaving me in a state of confusion as to what to make of it all.

Notably, some of the author's claims are wildly exaggerated. Moreover, he has an annoying habit of presenting opinions as historical facts.

Although Chomsky's proposed solutions to many of the identified problems seem equally far-fetched, I still deeply enjoyed this book. It made me think critically and provided an outside perspective on much of American History from 1960 to 1999.

While a lot of what he said seemed historically absurd, even after checking the references, and much of the discussion was outdated, a large portion of the problems he identified and discussed still remain highly relevant 30 to 40 years later.

This book truly challenges the reader's preconceived notions and forces one to reevaluate their understanding of history.

Edit in 2024: I read this book in 2017, and the review does not necessarily reflect my current beliefs/opinions.

"Understanding Power" is an engaging collection of discussion sessions that Chomsky had with the attendees of his talks. The discussions covered in this book took place between 1989 and 1999 and delved into US policies during the 1960 - 1990 period. The central thesis of Chomsky's arguments is that the US is essentially a plutocracy, which he supports with a wealth of evidence. A significant portion of this evidence comes from those in power themselves, such as declassified documents, memoirs written by bureaucrats, and articles in right-wing news outlets like the WSJ and The Economist.

Another interesting line of discussion is how the ruling class exercises thought control among the intellectual class. They do this by essentially restricting the debate in most news outlets to issues where there is a difference of opinion among the aristocrats themselves. Chomsky also points out how the supposed liberal newspapers, most notably The New York Times, are little more than mouthpieces. His book with Ed Herman, "Manufacturing Consent", which I'll likely read soon, has more on this topic.

One aspect that I found particularly fascinating was how, towards the end of the book, Chomsky almost predicts the rise of a Donald Trump-like figure. Some direct quotes from the book include: "Because people are so disillusioned by this point that they will believe almost anything." "they're high school graduates, mostly white males, a segment of the society that has really taken a beating." "Actually, I think the US has been in kind of a pre-fascist mood for years - and we've been very lucky that every leader who's come along has been a crook... But if somebody shows up who's kind of a Hitler-type just wants power, no corruption." Let's hope that Trump is also just a crook and nothing more.

Personally, this is the 26th book I completed this year (out of the approximately 35 that I started), and it took me the longest to read, about a month. This work has altered my perspective more than anything else I've read this year. It has made me think more deeply about the nature of power and the role of the media in a democratic society.

For all the 22 hours of Chomsky rambling on and on,

it is undeniable that there were indeed some interesting sections within that extensive discourse.

In particular, the concept he put forward regarding the USA having ‘mercenary states’ is quite thought-provoking.

This idea challenges the traditional understanding of the relationships between the United States and other countries, suggesting a more complex and perhaps less savory dynamic at play.

Moreover, his exploration of the geopolitical position and role of Israel is also of great significance.

Israel's unique location in the Middle East and its complex relationships with neighboring countries and the international community have a profound impact on global politics and security.

By delving into these aspects, Chomsky offers valuable insights and perspectives that can stimulate further discussion and analysis on these important topics.