“Failed States” by Noam Chomsky
I’m trying to become more aware of what’s going on in the world. Wikileaks inspired me to dig into all sorts of different news sources. Eventually someone recommended I read Noam Chomsky, and since I had bought Failed States earlier in 2010, I grabbed it and dove in. Ouch. It was as if someone had taped my eyelids open and was forcing me to watch as my ignorance of US foreign policy was destroyed, and depressingly methodically replaced with insights into why so many people on our planet are angry, frustrated, and sometimes vengeful toward us. Ignorance is bliss, for a while, and although it was tough to take, I’m better for sticking with it and seeing us through Chomsky’s eyes. Here are a couple notes I’m leaving here for later reference:
[“Free trade”] guarantees free movement of capital while dismissing free movement of labor, a core principle of free trade for Adam Smith. p. 218
…a few simple suggestions for the United States… (1) accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and the World Court; (2) sign and carry forward the Kyoto protocols; (3) let the UN take the lead in international crises; (4) rely on diplomatic and economic measures rather than military ones in confronting terror; (5) keep to the traditional interpretation of the UN Charter; (6) give up the Security Council veto and have “a decent respect for the opinion of mankind,” as the Declaration of Independence advises, even if power centers disagree; (7) but back sharply on military spending and sharply increase social spending. For people who believe in democracy, these are very conservative suggestions: they appear to be the opinions of the majority of the US population, in most cases the overwhelming majority. p. 262
