Happy Birthday, Noam Chomsky!
My drift ever leftward has brought me to a newer and more clear political perspective. I love that here on tumblr I have a very free platform to express myself in whatever way I please, and to talk about everything I find important in the moment, and as I process it all. So much reading, reflecting, observing, (and, to be frank, agonizing) has brought me to this perspective. I identify as an anarcho-syndicalist (à la Chomsky…except I’m way more in love with Marx), and I find value in incorporating the writing of Rosa Luxemburg into this view. Importantly, I look forward to unity with all radical leftists:
Now a federated, decentralized system of free associations, incorporating economic as well as other social institutions, would be what I refer to as anarcho-syndicalism; and it seems to me that this is the appropriate form of social organization for an advanced technological society in which human beings do not have to be forced into the position of tools, of cogs in the machine. There is no longer any social necessity for human beings to be treated as mechanical elements in the productive process; that can be overcome and we must overcome it to be a society of freedom and free association, in which the creative urge that I consider intrinsic to human nature will in fact be able to realize itself in whatever way it will.—Noam Chomsky
by (kid1000eyes)
In U.S. electoral politics, for just one example, the richest one-quarter of one percent of Americans make 80 percent of all individual political contributions and corporations outspend labor by a margin of 10-1.
Profit Over People (via noam-chomsky)neoliberal democracy in a nutshell: trivial debate over minor issues by parties that basically pursue the same pro-business policies regardless of formal differences and campaign debate. Democracy is permissible as long as the control of business is off-limits to popular deliberation or change; i.e. so long as it isn’t democracy. The neoliberal system therefore has an important and necessary byproduct - a depoliticized citizenry marked by apathy and cynicism
Profit Over People - Noam Chomsky (via noam-chomsky)
Perfect
On Hezbollah Supporting Syria | Noam Chomsky
Me: On your website (chomsky.info), there's an article about your visit to Lebanon [source], and that you believe "Hezbollah has the right to fight aggression" in regards to the multiple Israeli invasion over Lebanon. In addition, you have visited the leader Hassan Nasrallah with your wife, and you defended it as to oppose Western [America/Israeli] aggression: "The outstanding Lebanese journalist Rami Khouri, writing in the major English language Lebanese newspaper, captured the basic point rather well: "Hamas and Hizbullah are among the most effective and legitimate political movements in the Arab world: They have forced unilateral Israeli retreats that no Arab army could induce; won elections democratically without resorting to the gerrymandering or ballot box stuffing that most American-supported Arab regimes live by; provided efficient service delivery and local governance to their constituents; and sustained resistance to Israeli occupation that appeals to the desire of ordinary Arabs to restore dignity to their battered lives and to their shattered, hollow political systems." As you already now, Hezbollah has supported al-Assad's regime in Syria as to their so-called "support for Palestine", and their continous family relationship with Hezbollah (Hafez and Bashar had good connections with Hezbollah). Also, the FSA is nothing but a liberal instrument for western colonialism/intervention, and that Hezbollah supported it's resistance, apparently. However, isn't it hypocritical for Hezbollah to support other so called bourgeois installments of democracy in other Arab nations [e.g. Libya, Egypt,], but not Syria? Is there a fundamental reason for Hezbollah to support Syria or is it a proxy to resist western intervention? In addition, Israel's so called waging war on Syria (on Al-Akhbar) can affect also it's preemptive war on Iran?
Noam Chomsky: Rami Khouri, who I respect very much, is quite right, as far as I know. I haven’t closely followed Nasrallah’s comments about Syria. My impression is that he’s called on both sides to turn to negotiations rather than military conflict. I presume that his support for Assad is that Syria is their lifeline. If it’s cut off, Hezbollah – and Lebanon – are defenseless against the next US-backed Israeli attack, which may not be long in coming.
Profit and democracy are so contrary that there is no scope for comment. The aim of democracy is to leave people free to decide how they live and to make any political choices concerning them. Making a profit is a disease in our society, based on specific organisations. A decent, ethical society would pay only marginal attention to profits.
Noam Chomsky (via noam-chomsky)Noam Chomsky: Occupy Protestors ”not going to be able to compete with massive corporate propaganda”
‘Socialism’: In America, public usage of the term relies on no stable or coherent set of concepts, so everyone is confused and no one knows what they are talking about.
Noam Chomsky remedies this in under 5 minutes.
THIS IS IMPORTANT!
“The question is whether privileged elite should dominate mass communication and should use this power as they tell us they must — namely to impose necessary illusions, to manipulate and deceive the stupid majority and remove them from the public arena. The question in brief, is whether democracy and freedom are values to be preserved or threats to be avoided. In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than values to be treasured; they may well be essential to survival.” Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
