Apocalypse Near : interview with Noam Chomsky

[mom cat]

Apocalypse Near : interview with Noam Chomsky

Apocalypse Near

Following intellectuals' letter, Prof. Noam Chomsky explains his doctrine, discusses danger of Israel's nukes compared to 'Iranian threat,' global media's role in escalating Mideast conflict and US's place in picture

By Merav Yudilovitch

08/09/06 "Ynet" -- -- Last week, a group of renowned intellectuals published an open letter blaming Israel for escalating the conflict in the Middle East. The letter, which mainly referred to the alignment of forces between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, caused a lot of anger among Ynet and Ynetnews readers, particularly due to its claim that the Israeli policy's political aim is to eliminate the Palestinian nation.

The letter was formulated by art critic and author John Berger and among its signatories were Nobel Prize winner, playwright Harold Pinter, linguist and theoretician Noam Chomsly, Nobel Prize laureate Jos é Saramago, Booker Prize laureate Arundhati Roy, American author Russell Banks, author and playwright Gore Vidal, and historian Howard Zinn.

Prof. Chomsky, you claimed that the provocation and counter-provocation all serve as a distraction from the real issue. What does it mean?
"I assume you are referring to John Berger’s letter (which I signed, among others). The “real issue” that is being ignored is the systematic destruction of any prospects for a viable Palestinian existence as Israel annexes valuable land and major resources, leaving the shrinking territories assigned to Palestinians as unviable cantons, largely separated from one another and from whatever little bit of Jerusalem is to be left to Palestinians, and completely imprisoned as Israel takes over the Jordan valley.

"This program of realignment cynically disguised as “withdrawal,” is of course completely illegal, in violation of Security Council resolutions and the unanimous decision of the World Court (including the dissenting statement of US Justice Buergenthal). If it is implemented as planned, it spells the end of the very broad international consensus on a two-state settlement that the US and Israel have unilaterally blocked for 30 years – matters that are so well documented that I do not have to review them here.

more at:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article14462.htm

[BlueManDude]

1. the reality is that many conservatives welcome wwIII, the end times,

the apocalypse - whatever you want to call it.

[stepnw1f]

2. Now I See Why Noam is Being Attacked by Pro-Israelis

and of course it's the same ignorant rhetoric the Right Wing uses on all liberals. Anti-semite... anti-american... blah, blah, blah, blah.

[IntiRaymi]

4. Noam is jewish, you know.

He has also had a series of high profile debates with neocon thug, Alan Dershowitz, that go back to 1971. American Jews are not a monoblock on these things, it appears, and as usual the important thing is what matters most: Is he a progressive or not?
Being jewish (or muslim, or democrat, or republican, or etc.) is secondary to that characteristic.

[Briar]

Alan Dershowitz, what a name to conjure with

He of "torture is okay if we do it" and "some civilians are less civilian than others" infamy. I don't know how Chomsky could speak for the vomit rising in his gorge...

[Briar]

5. Alan Dershowitz, what a name to conjure with

He of "torture is okay if we do it" and "some civilians are less civilian than others" infamy. I don't know how Chomsky could speak for the vomit rising in his gorge...

[enough]

3. Professor Chomsky's willingness to keep on explaining is nothing short of

heroic. I am at least ten years younger than he is, and I have about decided that it's hopeless. He still seems to believe that reason can be employed in human experience. For that, he is a hero.


snip>

"To turn to your specific question, even a casual look at the Western press reveals that the crucial developments in the occupied territories are marginalized even more by the war in Lebanon. The ongoing destruction in Gaza – which was rarely seriously reported in the first place - has largely faded into the background, and the systematic takeover of the West Bank has virtually disappeared.

"However, I would not go as far as the implication in your question that this was a purpose of the war, though it clearly is the effect. We should recall that Gaza and the West Bank are recognized to be a unit, so that if resistance to Israel’s destructive and illegal programs is legitimate within the West Bank (and it would be interesting to see a rational argument to the contrary), then it is legitimate in Gaza as well."

You claim that the world media refuses to link between what's going on in the occupied territories and in Lebanon?

"Yes, but that is the least of the charges that should be leveled against the world media, and the intellectual communities generally. One of many far more severe charges is brought up in the opening paragraph of the Berger letter.

snip> (much more)

[eccles12]

8. In complete agreement. Norm is a true hero.

But none are so blind as those who REFUSE to see.

[Hoping4Change]

10. Hear, hear. nt

[katty]

6. Neocons want Armageddon...for them killing/death is thrilling

[yurbud]

7. only because death wails are the sound of profits accumulating

they are not sadists so much as sociopaths. If it takes blowing the heads off some babies to increase oil company profits, so be it.

[Hoping4Change]

9. This needs to get on the Greatest Page.

Thanks for posting this mom cat. What a stellar group of writers who signed the letter. It is posts like this that keep my sanity as I just feel so enraged.

:kick: