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Noam Chomsky on How To Prevent World War III | Current Affairs |

The eminent scholar on the worsening threat of nuclear warfare, how to end the war in Ukraine, the self-justifying myths propagated by imperial powers, why the Global South finds American moralizing laughable, and more.

Professor Noam Chomsky is one of the most influential public intellectuals in the world. He has written more than 100 books, including, most recently, Consequences of Capitalism: Manufacturing Discontent and Resistance, co-authored with Marv Waterstone, and, forthcoming, The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power by Noam Chomsky with Vijay Prashad. He is currently the Laureate Professor at the University of Arizona and Professor Emeritus in the MIT Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. Professor Chomsky recently came on the Current Affairs podcast to talk to editor in chief Nathan J. Robinson about the threat of nuclear war, how American culture often promotes indifference to the suffering of people in other countries, and the history of U.S. foreign policy that brought us to this point. This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity. The full exchange can be listened to here.

I was sent a article written by Hubert Smeets who attempted to smear the live-long work of Chomsky as nothing more than an attack on imperialistic America. We should all join the media effort to support NATO in its stand against a dictator. Hubert Smeets is a journalist and historicus known for his blog a Window on Russia. Khodorkovsky and the Henry Jackson Society would be proud of him.

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 08:17:42 AM EST
I guess this is the article :
According to Noam Chomsky, Ukraine was not allowed to wear such a short skirt
Seven weeks after the start of the war against Ukraine, linguist Noam Chomsky finally appeared at the front. As always, the 93-year-old American had a relentless case again. Putin is not dear, but Biden is more to blame. America wants to suck the Russians into a "cruel guerrilla" just like in the 1980s in Afghanistan. He also has a solution. Putin must be given an "escape." This is possible if Ukrainians obediently come to terms with neutrality, the autonomy of Donbass in the federal state structure and the eventual loss of Crimea, Chomsky told the site last week. Current affairs† The alternative is "the destruction of Ukraine and nuclear war".

Shorter Chomsky : "The cause of every problem in the world is American imperialism. I got that right in the 1960s, and nothing ever changes."

He should have prolonged his silence.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 10:57:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Chomsky is completely right here. I see that NATO central would be happy as a clam if they could keep the meat grinder going for years, but that's hardly a moral stance.
I'm still surprised how successfully two imperial powers fighting a (proxy) war over who gets to be the hegemon in a piece of territory is somehow treated as this new and unique crime and not the most common thing in European history.
by generic on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 12:14:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There is a fairly large concensus among the citizens of Europe that those days are meant to be over.

This isn't a proxy war; it is a war between a hegemon which disagrees that those days are over, and a nation which aspires to join that concensus, but has the misfortune to have a long border with the aforesaid hegemon.

The danger for Europe is that letting the hegemon win the war sets a, to put it mildly, dangerous precedent.

I'm not a nationalist; international borders are largely arbitrary historical accidents; but allowing a hegemon to revise them by military conquest is ALWAYS a bad idea. Nevertheless, I hope that Ukraine will agree to a territorial settlement, because the war has to end.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 12:52:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
How is this not a proxy war? The Ukrainian government is large funded by IMF loans and nearly all of the new military equipment comes from NATO. If that isn't a proxy war than there never never was one.

And frankly "..and a nation which aspires to join that consensus.." is ahistoric and completely removes meddling by one side from consideration. Do you deny that the first pro-Western Orange Revolution government was voted out of office, and I think our guy got something like sevenths place in that election? Or that the US was involved in the Maidan revolution to the point they got to pick the PM afterwards? And finally, Zelensky was voted in as the peace candidate with large majorities, but in the end was unable to implement any part of the ceasefire, at least to a large part because of the threat of violence be far-right elements.

And I certainly agree that the majority of Europeans would like to believe that that age is over, but what the majority of Europeans wants never mattered much when it came to matters of war.

by generic on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 02:03:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
How is this not a proxy war?

Since it was Russia that invaded Ukraine, do you consider that they did so in order to damage the US?
Or perhaps that the US (specifically) forced Putin to invade?
Because those are the only two ways I could see it as a proxy war.
That the EU, and the US, don't wish Ukraine to lose, and provide weapons, doesn't make it a proxy war. It makes them allies.

You seem to consider that the Maidan revolution is tainted, but no revolution is ever pure. It's axiomatic.
That the US was in favour of it, or meddled, is largely beside the point. The actual people of Ukraine had the right to overthrow their president after he flip-flopped over the crucial issue of choosing between Europe and Russia.

Also rember : the government that follows a revolution always betrays the revolution; that's axiomatic too. Poroshenko, as an oligarch himself, was singularly ill-equipped to fight corruption.
The fact that he was  overwhelmingly defeated by a candidate who is clearly pro-European possibly illustrates a popular aspiration in that direction, no?

And frankly "..and a nation which aspires to join that consensus.." is ahistoric and completely removes meddling by one side from consideration.

You'll have to walk me through that part. Consider that after Maidan, there was a certain amount of meddling by one side (annexation of Crimea, the Donbass war) which dwarfs anything the Americans attempted.

I have no idea why you believe that the aspiration of Ukrainians to join the EU is ahistoric. It's been a fundamental, and divisive, issue for the last couple of decades. The succession of presidents elected - Yushenko, Yakunovich, Poroshenko, Zelenskiy - would seem to show a temopral strengthening of popular desire to strengthen ties with the EU and reduce dependency on Russia.

If you believe that Ukrainians have been fooled by the US into becoming pro-EU, rather than making a clear-eyed choice, can you explain the process to me?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 03:45:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
US influence in Ukraine was clearly the deciding factor, yes. What would be an example of a proxy war if this isn't one? Both Korea and Vietnam had their own motivations.

You'll have to walk me through that part. Consider that after Maidan, there was a certain amount of meddling by one side (annexation of Crimea, the Donbass war) which dwarfs anything the Americans attempted.

Maidan had, to the best of my knowledge, never more popular support than about 40%.  And do you think that it's expected for a revolution to have another country's representative pick the political leadership afterwards? Political meddling is a matter of chronology, not arithmetic.

have no idea why you believe that the aspiration of Ukrainians to join the EU is ahistoric. It's been a fundamental, and divisive, issue for the last couple of decades. The succession of presidents elected - Yushenko, Yakunovich, Poroshenko, Zelenskiy - would seem to show a temopral strengthening of popular desire to strengthen ties with the EU and reduce dependency on Russia.

The point is exactly that it was disputed. Both "pro-Russian" and "pro-western" candidates could win, and would very likely not win reelection. Before the war Zelensky polled at 20% and if election had been held the "pro-Russian" opposition might very likely have won. But, of course the party leader was put under house arrest for conspiring with Russia (under orders of the Poroshenko government, funnily enough)

by generic on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 04:45:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]
...and by the way, why is it the case that in January 2022, the most influential players in building the case for a war (pretending they had proofs of Russian intentions) are English speakers, while within the EU, English speaker are now represented only by southern Ireland?
by Tom2 on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 07:15:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, if you are talking about the well-publicised US intelligence announcements... what language were you expecting it to be published in?

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Sun Apr 24th, 2022 at 03:15:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Adding : I really wish the US were out of the equation. That would require Europe to be able and willing to defend itself. That will be the long-term result of the current war, sadly; it's an existential necessity as long it has a hostile hegemon for neighbour.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 12:55:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I mean can't we? Seems that Russia currently has serious difficulties to supply a large force around Kiev. I don't see how they'd get to Warsaw. And despite all the urgency a large part of the Russian arsenal is soviet leftover and those aren't getting any younger.

But of course, in the real world the US is involved and the transatlantic tendency now has regained its stranglehold on European politics.

by generic on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 02:19:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The inefficacy of the RF army astonished just about everyone; but the recklessness with which it has been used demonstrates that we can't exclude anything, and can't consider Russia as a rational actor.

My guess is that they will lick their wounds and stay out of trouble for 10 years or so (but what would I know?), giving the EU the time to raise its defense game and kick the US out of Europe.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Sun Apr 24th, 2022 at 03:36:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Eh. It's hard to say with certainty how badly the Russian army is really doing, but after predicting that it's nuts to entertain the idea that the Russians would invade in the height of mud season with half the number that seems reasonable and with logistics that are still very limited without a direct connection to their home rail network, I think I can claim the consolation prize of not being that surprised that things aren't going that smoothly for them.
by generic on Sun Apr 24th, 2022 at 10:09:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
by generic on Sun Apr 24th, 2022 at 10:10:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]
ok... I better understand the hurry to evacuate the northwest after the failure to take Kyiv.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Mon Apr 25th, 2022 at 11:25:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
What about the UK?
the leaked conversation of the UK defense secretary with someone posing as Ukr vice prez?
the 'small' post-Brexit and post- (not so post- actually) Corona economic problems?
by Tom2 on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 07:17:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
For your heartfelt views I'll consider you a honorary member of the London Henry Jackson Society.

As a warning ... Anne Applebaum resigned from a similar organ, the Legatum Institute. 😂 enjoy

'Sapere aude'

by Oui (Oui) on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 02:00:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Why War?, An exchange of letters between Freud and Einstein," 1932, 13 pp + cover

tl;dr: Parents are first teachers.

by Cat on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 01:00:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah and thank you for suggesting this blog. It gives a clearer idea why Putin's inner circle might support the drive to war.

https://www.raamoprusland.nl/dossiers/binnenlandse-politiek/2094-why-russia-s-elite-went-to-war

The oligarchs who emerged under Yeltsin's rule gave up their involvement in Russia's domestic politics. They earned their money in Russia, but used the West to invest their capital. The balance of power shifted to Putin's cronies and security apparatus. After the annexation of Crimea their anti-Westernism became a platform for consolidation, argues political scientist Kirill Rogov at the Russia File of the Kennan Institute.

A clear understanding of why and how Russia's monstrous war of aggression against Ukraine, a war destructive for both countries, became possible will require much time and effort. So far, the focus of immediate commentary has invariably been on President Putin, as the outbreak of war is perceived as his personal decision. However, reasoning along the lines of 'we are all the hostages of one man's insanity' is more likely to produce a fictitious answer rather than a genuine one.

Old oligarchs abandoned any ambitions for political change, post Khodorovsky, and went west; new oligarchs also dreamed of golden retirement in western Europe, but that went up in smoke post Crimea; embittered, they doubled down on a bad bet. A coherent picture.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II

by eurogreen on Fri Apr 22nd, 2022 at 01:57:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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