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Chomsky Discusses the Election

Sefarst

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http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/06/2008624202053652281.html

Among the interesting observations by Chomsky, he says that healthcare is a top issue in the 2008 election while it wasn't in the 2004 election not because public opinion has changed or because of any courage on the part of the candidates, but because big business has begun backing the idea, specifically the manufacturing companies who think it will save them money. He also says that Obama is a blank slate you can write whatever slogan you want on and laments that there is no longer any principled criticism of the Iraq War coming from anyone in politics.

Chomsky doesn't mention McCain, but I think it's safe to assume he doesn't agree with him either.

He goes on to say that elections in places like Bolivia and Haiti put us to shame.
 
Haiti? Seriously?

Pardon me while I fight off the roving street gangs to get to the grocery store so I can spend a weeks salary on enough water to do a spit-take with.
 
I think the price of the gas is going to be the top issue. Right now people can't afford to drive to the doctor.
 
Sefarst said:
Among the interesting observations by Chomsky, he says that healthcare is a top issue in the 2008 election while it wasn't in the 2004 election not because public opinion has changed or because of any courage on the part of the candidates, but because big business has begun backing the idea, specifically the manufacturing companies who think it will save them money.
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Aye. He may be on to something there.
He also says that Obama is a blank slate you can write whatever slogan you want on and laments that there is no longer any principled criticism of the Iraq War coming from anyone in politics.
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??? He seems not to read the news much, but then, most of Congress is complicit in the war, so what are they going to do, blame themselves?
He goes on to say that elections in places like Bolivia and Haiti put us to shame.
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I guess he forget's Aristide's necklacing gangs. Good old Noam, always good for a laugh.

DR
 
He is crazy, but he's right about the health care thing. There's a false idea of only socialists wanting health care reform so they can have a cradle-to-the-grave nanny state. Not so; you've got a lot of businesses who feel like the insurance companies are picking their pocket.

My employer pays 90% of my premiums. It sucks when my share goes up and wipes out my last raise... but think about how much harder it hits their bottom line. They can't refuse health benefits, they'll lose the best talent to companies who are offering it. So they are getting nailed on skyrocketing premiums.

So, yes, that's the difference and that's why we'll finally get reform. It's not cynicism, it's just economic reality.
 
quixotecoyote said:
Haiti? Seriously?

Pardon me while I fight off the roving street gangs to get to the grocery store so I can spend a weeks salary on enough water to do a spit-take with.
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That's what I thought. Haven't heard much about Haiti lately, but is it no longer a complete basket case?

OK, I looked it up. Here's what he said:
If the elite strategy for managing the electorate is to ignore the will of the people as you interpret it through polling data essentially, what is an actual progressive vision of changing the US electoral system? Is it election finance, is it third party activism?

We have models right in front of us. Like pick, say, Bolivia, the poorest county in South America. They had a democratic election a couple of years ago that you can't even dream about in the US. It's kind of interesting it's not discussed; it's a real democratic election.

A large majority of the population became organised and active for the first time in history and elected someone from their own ranks on crucial issues that everyone knew about – control of resource, cultural rights, issues of justice, you know, really serious issues.

And, furthermore, they didn't just do it on election day by pushing a button, they've been struggling about these things for years.

A couple of years before this they managed to drive Bechtel and the World Bank out of the country when they were trying to privatise the war. It was a pretty harsh struggle and a lot of people were killed.

Well, they reached a point where they finally could manifest this through the electoral system - they didn't have to change the electoral laws, they had to change the way the public acts. And that's the poorest country in South America.

Actually if we look at the poorest country in the hemisphere – Haiti - the same thing happened in 1990. You know, if peasants in Bolivia and Haiti can do this, it's ridiculous to say we can't.
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He's talking about an election 28 years ago in Haiti, and I guess that must have worked out pretty well and now Haiti is in great shape, right?

Is Bolivia in great shape? Here's a recent article on the situation in Bolivia. I guess it remains to be seen. The new president's redistributive reform agenda has not yet actually been implemented. We shall have to wait to see if a new era of prosperity arrives for Bolivia.
 
Puppycow said:
He's talking about an election 28 years ago in Haiti, and I guess that must have worked out pretty well and now Haiti is in great shape, right?

Is Bolivia in great shape? Here's a recent article on the situation in Bolivia. I guess it remains to be seen. The new president's redistributive reform agenda has not yet actually been implemented. We shall have to wait to see if a new era of prosperity arrives for Bolivia.
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Well, I'm no Chomsky fan but we should at least be fair enough to address what he actually said. He's not saying Haiti's in great shape; he's talking about what happened in a specific election (18 years ago by the way). Since I have no idea what happened in that election, or in Bolivia's, i have no opinion. Maybe someone who knows something about it can comment or (more likely) we can just continue with the "Chomsky's a nutter" stuff.

What he says about the health care issue does make a lot of sense.
 
corplinx said:
I think the price of the gas is going to be the top issue. Right now people can't afford to drive to the doctor.
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If the republicans have a chance, it will be this issue.

Newt's doing a good job of linking ANWAR and offshore oil and lower gas prices. It'll fool many people into thinking that it'll really help.
 
Well, considering how Chomsky recommended voting for the lesser of two evils (Kerry) in 2004, I suppose he thinks the same this year, too.

The Chom's a brilliant analyst, but he doesn't propose any solutions.
 
NotJesus said:
Well, I'm no Chomsky fan but we should at least be fair enough to address what he actually said. He's not saying Haiti's in great shape; he's talking about what happened in a specific election (18 years ago by the way). Since I have no idea what happened in that election, or in Bolivia's, i have no opinion. Maybe someone who knows something about it can comment or (more likely) we can just continue with the "Chomsky's a nutter" stuff.
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I don't know the specifics, but I don't see a really compelling point in his comments. I read it as people in destitute circumstances are more active when pursuing political reforms than those that are relatively fat and happy - this is not surprising. I suppose he's trying to draw a comparison to dissatisfaction drviing the activism propelling Obama's campaign, but the situations remain pretty far apart.
 
Axiom_Blade said:
Well, considering how Chomsky recommended voting for the lesser of two evils (Kerry) in 2004, I suppose he thinks the same this year, too.

The Chom's a brilliant analyst, but he doesn't propose any solutions.
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If you call the usual Marxist crap brilliant.

Chomsky still defends the Pol Pot regime as being "misunderstood". That should rule him persona non grata as far as respecting his opinion goes.
 
dudalb said:
If you call the usual Marxist crap brilliant.

Chomsky still defends the Pol Pot regime as being "misunderstood". That should rule him persona non grata as far as respecting his opinion goes.
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Got a source for that?

ETA: It's a logical fallacy to claim that because somebody was mistaken on one topic, that they're mistaken on all topics. Just because I agree with some things Chomsky says, doesn't mean I agree with everything. I think I made that clear in my earlier post.
 
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