Learn from old masters. Social criticism at a very high level! On the nuclear phase-out, Trump’s failure, and how one can beat the climate crisis.

Noam Chomsky is one of the world’s most influential linguists, a professor of observation and a sharp critic of American politics even in old age. In his current work, global political issues and exit from nuclear power are again on the agenda.

Before we start the review, a few brief sentences about the author: Noam Chomsky, born in 1928, is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT. He revolutionized modern linguistics and wrote many bestsellers. In the 1990s, his work caused a sensation in the graffiti scene, and signs of “Chomsky’s Reading” can be seen all over the world. To this day, the 92-year-old is considered one of the most prominent critics of American politics.

In Noam Chomsky’s current work, we find explanations of past events and questions and answers about them, as well as our short texts on current and historical tension in the field of armaments and the dismantling of nuclear weapons. Basically, the acclaimed linguist calls for a universal consensus to withdraw and use common sense in dealing with it. Translator Michael Schiffman (who has previously translated many of the author’s works) comes up in the final chapter with a questionnaire on the outcome of the US elections approaching the corner and concludes it in Westend Publishing House Published book. The main part of the book refers to an event about the International in 2016.

In the first chapter, Noam Chomsky refers to the mistakes and atrocities of the past. Especially in dealing with nuclear weapons and their lethal global development. Already after forty pages, I admired the wealth of knowledge, the way of expression and the optimism of our planet that, despite its aging, everything could go to a different and better future. The term Anthropocene and its consequences appear again and again. We are not immune to statistics on floods, storms, temperature fluctuations and other representations of man-made natural disasters. Photos of accidents, some of which have already been forgotten, document this as well.

«All US presidential candidates denied the facts of climate change!»

It goes smoothly with the second trimester Wallace Shuns The interview continues. The activist, who studied philosophy at Harvard and Oxford but is known to us as an actor, raises questions about the phasing out of nuclear weapons, the American mentality and civil disobedience, and whether this would ever be a substitute for the retired. She continues with a question-and-answer session in the third semester. In a lecture on internationalism that the book focuses on, questions about strategic implementation then arise. Here, Hiroshima outreach workers, climate activists, and nonprofit journalism professors pose specific questions about how to manage the nuclear weapons phase-out and what the senior director’s current ideas about the future movement look like. Topics like capitalism are treated secondary, but the focus is more on the domestic political situation in the United States.

Current ideas about the global situation are then deepened in Chapter Four. The American publisher wants to conclude how the insurgency might function and whether Chomsky had a plan or ideas for it. Here, too, you’ll continue to enjoy the established general knowledge and certain chatter from MIT professors. Shortly thereafter, there are personal recollections in which he describes his portrayal of existential risks. In this time travel of his memories, we come to the teenage years of the linguist, who describes the growing fascism of the late 1930s and then compares (“which in no way came close to Nazism at the time”) with the phenomenon called ultra-nationalist and reactionary internationalism that pulls and fears it.

What a tragedy for the United States!

Netanyahu in Israel, Trump-Pompeo-Bolton, the third evil in the United States, Bolsonaro in Brazil, Moreno from Ecuador are the extremists and extreme right-wingers of the present time to be feared. The countermove comes from Varoufakis (Greek Finance Minister) and Bernie Sanders with their progressive statesmen. This is followed by continued exit from nuclear energy and international disarmament treaties. This also follows harsh criticism for the promotion of fossil building materials. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has been bypassed. What a tragedy for the United States!

I really don’t want to go into the last interview, which took place shortly before Christmas 2020. It’s nice to see that the interpreter for the German-speaking region had the opportunity to ask questions himself. Michael Schiffman has already been allowed to translate some of Chomsky’s books, and perhaps, as sad as it sounds, this is the last chance to get this back in writing. So I only have the main message left here.

“If we do not quickly deal with the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere, everything else is not important anyway.”

Chomsky is without a doubt one of the veterans of American thinkers and one of the so-called greats «A nation thinker». You have to have thick skin, a certain amount of know-how and an interest in world affairs, American politics, and the economy in order to have fun. But for me it was real enrichment and I also believe in myself: «It’s not too late!».

For more information, please look at these links:

https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/2/resources/1305

http://chomsky.info

Fun fact about this factual book:

In addition to their dogs, Valeria (Chomsky’s partner) and Noam Chomsky also have a bilingual parrot whose favorite motto is “Sovereignty of all the peoples of the world”. But he speaks his first language, Portuguese, which is: “Soberania para os povos de todas as nações!”

This book fits …

… people interested in US politics and the economy

… the rebels and the educated citizens

… a cup of Cuba Libre

Text: Daniel Klein [www.stimmeundmehr.com]