From the Publisher
"The essays are scathing and Chomsky brilliant, as a public intellectual engaged in a concerted and committed campaign to break the ‘big lie’ of an increasingly consolidated authoritarian state that has embarked on global military destruction in the name of humanitarian undertakings."—Shelley Walia, The Hindu
From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY
"Cronin's conversational style captures the political dissident at his best." —AudioFile
AUGUST 2016 - AudioFile
James Cronin brings to life 87-year-old Noam Chomsky's dry wit and scathing commentary on U.S. foreign policy. It's essential to hear these 34 pieces because most American newspapers ignore him. These were published outside the country. Cronin's conversational style captures the political dissident at his best. In "Assault on Public Education," listeners will learn that once those in power concluded that education benefits those who receive it and NOT society, it was decided that each individual must pay for it. Cronin's Chomsky notes in "Boston and Beyond" that the Marathon bombing resulted in disturbing, unexamined, and unregulated governmental power. Other important topics such as Israel/Palestine, Edward Snowden, the Axis of Evil, and many more are included. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2015-05-20
Chomsky's (Making the Future, 2012, etc.) latest collection of brief essays, written between 2011 and 2015, proves that he hasn't lost his talent for screaming at Americans to wake up. Essentially, the author examines what makes a real democracy, how it comes into being, and, more importantly, what subverts it. As we complain about big business running our country, Chomsky reminds us that, while framing our Constitution, James Madison followed Aristotle's lead in worrying that the poor would use their votes to undermine property-owning aristocrats. Thus, today's libertarians struggle to dismantle the aristocratic guardianship of the 1 percent; elsewhere, Chomsky notes how "crazy is the new norm among Tea Party members and a host of others beyond the mainstream." In addition to concerns about the coming climate disaster, Chomsky also explores the United States' rejection of multilateral agreements. As a world power, what we do and say is always legitimate "because we say so." One of the more frightening essays deals with public education, showing how it discourages independent thought and trains our children to obedience while enslaving them to the enormous debt incurred to achieve that education. At the same time, the public-relations firms running our elections create uninformed voters who continue to make irrational choices. The author saves his sharpest barbs for Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. The world condemns settlements and demands a nuclear-free zone and human rights for the Palestinians, to no avail. As a Jew, only he can attack the state of Israel safely because anyone else would be accused of anti-Semitism. Most importantly, the author shows us the feelings of the rest of the world, those who see the greatest enemies of Middle East peace as Israel and the United States. These writings will cause anger and outrage. However, though Chomsky raises our hackles, he doesn't really tell us what to do.
