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Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
34(34%)
4 stars
31(31%)
3 stars
35(35%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
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100 reviews
July 15,2025
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This book truly provides food for thought.

It delves into various areas that you may have a strong inclination to explore.

Moreover, it presents an excellent opportunity for you to engage in discussions with well-versed friends.

These discussions can enhance your understanding and perspective on the topics covered in the book.

You might discover new insights and ideas that you otherwise wouldn't have thought of.

The book serves as a catalyst for intellectual growth and expansion.

It encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and explore new territories of knowledge.

Whether you are a curious learner or a seasoned scholar, this book has something valuable to offer.

So, pick up this book, start exploring, and engage in meaningful discussions with your friends.

You are bound to have a rewarding and enlightening experience.
July 15,2025
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Amazing! Chomsky is not only capable of finding and decoding information. His accuracy is truly stunning. He creates patterns within institutions that can explain the behavior of organizations such as the government, which have shaped history and inevitably influenced individual human behavior. His analysis of the hierarchical structure of Corporations, Governments, and Media reveals an inextricable link. This link is related to the incentive to frighten the people of the United States into a sense of nationalism that is born of fear and consolidated through war. It is truly remarkable how Chomsky's work provides such deep insights into the complex workings of society and the forces that drive it.

July 15,2025
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Chomsky is indeed one of the more radical and humane thinkers in the contemporary era. His ideas offer a refreshing perspective that I find extremely helpful in ethically grounding myself when it comes to the events of the day. The majority of my reading regarding current affairs is from the establishment press, such as 'The NY Times', 'The Chicago Tribune', 'The Chicago Sun Times', 'Newsweek', 'Time', 'The London Financial Times', 'The Wall Street Journal', and similar publications. This is supplemented by 'The Nation', which typically represents the liberal wing of the Democratic Party but does sometimes venture to the left. Additionally, with NPR and BBC radio, I am quite thoroughly indoctrinated. However, Chomsky serves as an antidote, compelling me to reevaluate and rethink what I unconsciously absorb from the regular press.


Moreover, he is a realistic anarcho-syndicalist and takes pride in it. How invigorating and refreshing this is! It challenges the traditional norms and forces us to consider alternative ways of thinking and organizing society. His views prompt us to question the status quo and strive for a more just and equitable world.

July 15,2025
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David Barsamian has long been renowned for his ability to draw out profound insights from Noam Chomsky during their interviews.

In these exchanges, Barsamian poses interesting and timely questions that prompt Chomsky to offer well-structured and highly perceptive responses.

The books resulting from these interviews are like ideological nourishment, providing a source of comfort and clarity in a world where politics and global events can often seem overwhelming and frustrating.

Chomsky's understated analysis of current affairs has a way of making complex issues more understandable and manageable.

I would highly recommend obtaining the audiobook version of these interviews. Since it is a direct recording, it offers an unfiltered and engaging listening experience, allowing the listener to fully immerse themselves in the thoughts and ideas of these two intellectual giants.

Whether you are a long-time follower of Chomsky's work or new to his ideas, these audiobooks are sure to provide valuable food for thought.
July 15,2025
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Noam Chomsky has always been a skeptical and critical thinker, with an astonishingly independent and astute political mindset. His works offer us a different perspective on the United States, revealing a more complex and multi-faceted picture.

Reading his books not only broadens our understanding of American society and politics but also provides valuable insights into international relations.

For those who are interested in politics and international affairs, Chomsky's works serve as a fundamental reference.

They encourage us to question the status quo, think independently, and form our own opinions.

In conclusion, Noam Chomsky's ideas and writings have had a profound impact on the field of politics and international relations, and continue to inspire generations of scholars and activists.
July 15,2025
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Noam Chomsky is truly an extraordinary man.

His work has had a profound and far-reaching impact on multiple fields, including linguistics, philosophy, and politics.

His ideas and theories have challenged the status quo and forced us to reexamine our understanding of language, mind, and society.

Everyone should take the time to read his work.

By doing so, we can gain valuable insights into the nature of human language and cognition, as well as the power structures and inequalities that exist in our world.

Chomsky's work is not only intellectually stimulating but also socially relevant and important.

It has the potential to inspire us to think critically, question authority, and work towards a more just and equitable society.

So, if you haven't already, I highly recommend that you pick up one of Chomsky's books and start reading.

You won't be disappointed.

July 15,2025
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Noam Chomsky's work is truly fascinating.

His ideas are presented in a dialectical manner, which makes it accessible even for beginners.

For example, his work "Manufactured Consent" really makes one want to delve deeper into his in-depth works.

However, sometimes the way he presents his ideas can seem a bit jumpy.

This might make it a bit challenging for some readers to follow along.

But overall, his contributions to the fields of linguistics, philosophy, and politics are significant.

His work has inspired many people to think critically about the world around them and to question the status quo.

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced scholar, there is always something new to learn from Noam Chomsky's works.

So, if you haven't already, I highly recommend checking out his work and seeing for yourself what all the fuss is about.

You might just be surprised at how much you can learn.
July 15,2025
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In 1948, the US and the CIA rigged the election results in Italy, enabling the Christian Democratic Party they supported to win.

In 1949, the US failed the general strike in France (democratic indeed).

In 1953, the US overthrew the democratically elected premier of Iran, Mohammad Mossadegh, and installed the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, as a dictator, so that they could calmly plunder Iran's oil.

In 1954, the US overthrew the democratically elected president of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz, and a military hunt ensued. The result was 200,000 civilian casualties and the brutal and unpunished looting of Guatemala's national resources by American corporations, which continues to this day.

In 1956, after the Suez Crisis, Israel became a major recipient of arms and military technology from the US, with which it has been beating and terrorizing the Arab population for more than 60 years.

In 1963, the US supported the assassination of the premier of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem (1963 - 1975). The US killed 4 million people in Southeast Asia to give them the "blessings" of a capitalist society and free them from the Chinese-Soviet yoke (alas, they failed).

In 1973, the democratically elected president of Chile, Salvador Allende, was killed and the dictator Augusto Pinochet took his place. 5,000 Chileans were killed.

In 1977, the US supported the military and economic partisans in El Salvador. The result: 70,000 Salvadorans and 4 American nuns were killed.

In the 1980s, the US trained the Afghan freedom fighters led by Osama bin Laden to kill Russians (the CIA provided them with $3 billion).

In 1980, the Reagan administration trained and financed the Contras in Nicaragua. 30,000 Nicaraguans were killed.

In 1982, the United States gave billions to Saddam Hussein to kill Iranians.

In 1983, the White House secretly subsidized Iran to kill Iraqis.

In 1990, Iraq attacked Kuwait with the weapons given to them by the American military.

In 1998, Clinton bombed an arms factory in Sudan. It turned out that the factory was not for Kalashnikovs but produced aspirin.

From 1991 until the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, American planes bombed various urban centers in Iraq monthly. According to the UN, the number of children killed is over 500,000.

In 2001 - 2002, the Americans gave the Taliban government in Afghanistan more than $300 million in "humanitarian aid".
July 15,2025
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Many of the issues regarding the accession of the eastern countries to the European Union (EU) are intertwined with this.

The United States is vehemently in favor of this accession process. The reason behind this is that it anticipates that these countries will be more amenable to U.S. influence. Moreover, the U.S. hopes that they will be able to undermine the core of Europe, namely France and Germany. These are big industrial countries that have the potential to move in a somewhat more independent direction.

Chomsky is likely contemplating here the Franco-German opposition to the Iraq War. It is probable that he is not considering the more cynical reasons for it. However, it is important to note that there could be multiple factors at play in the complex web of international relations and the EU accession process. The motives and interests of different countries and actors need to be carefully analyzed and understood to gain a comprehensive perspective on these issues.

July 15,2025
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Noam Chomsky had a solid performance in this work. However, it should be noted that these are transcripts of interviews conducted by David Barsamian. Barsamian has an annoying habit of asking Chomsky easy questions, which leads the MIT linguist to repeat the same old material. As always, I have a liking for Chomsky. And this is the first post-9/11 work of Chomsky that I have read in a while.

One of my favorite observations of Chomsky in this book is his shocked reaction to the failed invasion of Iraq. Iraq had been weakened by decades of sanctions, yet the USA was still unable to take over the country, similar to the situation in Cuba. He also does an excellent job of explaining why the US actually won in Vietnam. The main goals of the Military-Industrial Complex, such as "bombing south eastern Asia into the stone age," had been achieved, with only some loose ends remaining. He further elaborates on why neither Afghanistan nor Iraq was the "new Vietnam."

As usual, Chomsky does a great job of exposing the limited intellectual scope that the "chattering classes" rely on. He also points out how acquiescent our media, and consequently the public, has become due to self-censoring. For example, what "real" journalist, whose job is to uncover facts, would consider being embedded as real "journalism"? He goes on to describe how David Arnet, the British journalist who actually reported Iraqi casualties and the real damage caused by the US war, was either criticized or ignored by the mainstream media.

Unlike Chomsky's "straight text" books, I am deducting a point due to Barsamian's sycophantic questioning and giving this book a mere 3 stars. Nevertheless, it is an easy read, especially if you are a Chomsky fan.
July 15,2025
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This article seems to be a personal reflection on reading something related to Noam Chomsky.

It starts by acknowledging that the material might be a bit outdated, yet it is still considered important and relevant. The ending was more hopeful than the author anticipated, which was a pleasant surprise.

The author then expresses confusion about how they managed to get through college as a Political Science major and a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics minor without reading any of Chomsky's work.

Finally, the author declares that they are officially ready to celebrate Noam Chomsky day in December, perhaps inspired by someone or something referred to as "Captain Fantastic".

Overall, the article gives a sense of the author's newfound appreciation for Chomsky's work and their realization of its significance in their field of study.
July 15,2025
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In "Imperial Ambitions", Noam Chomsky delves deep into the imperialist essence of the United States during W's first term.

He also traces the country's longing for global domination that dates back to the JFK administration. Chomsky出色地剖析了美国和英国政府为“反恐战争”所使用的言辞和理由,并揭示了其真正的非法性。

然而,这本书不仅仅局限于对美国帝国主义的讨论。乔姆斯基还探讨了组织社区的重要性,以及变革之战是一场持续的斗争。

我们不应该期望通过每四年投票一次来改变世界,也不应该仅仅抗议一次就坐在家里纳闷为什么没有发生变化。

持续的行动和组织是实现真正变革的关键。
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