Chomsky, Noam
Recommended Author Index

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  1. After Pinkville
    In Bertrand Russell War Crimes Tribunal on Vietnam
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1971
    Chomsky begins by expressing criticism of the peace movement protestors. He claims that their demands on the US government to "stop bombing and enter negotiations" in Vietnam were insufficient; they should have instead called for immediate withdrawal and adherence to international law. Chomsky then turns his criticism towards the American moral standing, citing one professors take on foreign policy: "To crush the people's war, we must eliminate the people". He parallels this to the moral level of Nazi Germany and questions the US's lack of moral considerations in the Vietnam War.
  2. Aftermath
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    Chomsky discusses various consequences of the Gulf war, both the negative and those perceived as triumphs.
  3. All options on the table?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky responds to the 2008 meetings of world powers which addressed the topic of nuclear proliferation. He highlights the numerous ways in which these talks failed to live up to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
  4. America in Decline
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2011
  5. American Decline in Perspective
    Empire and Its Discontents
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
  6. American Power and the New Mandarins 
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1969
    Chomsky writes about American power and violence, especially in the context of the Vietnam war, and he focuses especially on the complicity of American intellectuals in supporting and enabling the American imperial project.
  7. Another Way for Kosovo?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2000
    Chomsky considers the facts of the Kosovo crisis and aims to determine if other plausible courses of action were available.
  8. At War With Asia
    Essays on Indochina
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1970
    Noam Chomsky examines the many effects of America's war in Indochina and tries to answer the questions that underlie this conflict.
  9. Back in the USA
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Chomsky explores American unwillingness to subject Israel to the principles of the Geneva Convention, citing this as a main cause for continued strife in the region.
  10. Beyond the Ballot
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Rather than focusing upon the establishment of elections in Iraq, Chomsky points out that popular will is the essential element of democracy. The vast majority of Iraqis were, however, opposed to coalition forces.
  11. Blinded by the Truth
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2000
    Chomsky explores Israel's adoption of the American military doctrine in its conflict with the Palestinians.
  12. Bush y los años del miedo
    Conversaciones con Jorge Halperín
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2003
    "Estados Unidos es un pais que tiene mucho miedo y los politicos inescrupulosos como los de la epoca de Reagan, que hoy vuelven a estar en el poder, saben muy bien como manipular los miedos. Es la unica manera de ejercer el control." Hay que bucear lejos en la historia, tal vez el asesinato del archiduque Francisco Fernando, muerto en Sarajevo en 1914, que disparo la Primera Guerra Mundial, para encontrar un atentado cuyo impacto fuera capaz de desencadenar una profunda transformacion del mapa del mundo.
  13. Bush's bankrupt vision
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Looking at the stops during Bush's visit to the Middle East, Chomsky offers an explanation of the ambitions Bush aimed to establish as his legacy; namely, good relations with those regions rich in resources, especially Saudi Arabia and Israel.
  14. Cambodia
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1970
    Chomsky discusses the invasion of Cambodia. He describes it in terms of the internationalization of the Vietnam war as well as explores the internal developments leading up to the event. Specifically, Chomsky focuses on the right-wing coup of Prince Sihanouk on March 18th 1970 as the turning point from neutrality to destabilization.
  15. Can a Democrat change US Middle East policy?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    In response to the Bush Administration's open disregard for public opinion polls, Chomsky considers the likeliness of a Democrat taking a new stance on the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. He asserts that the possibility is somewhat greater - even if only marginally.
  16. The Case Against U.S. Adventurism in Iraq
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky depicts the Bush Administration's ambition to rule the world by force and the dangers of this intention.
  17. Ceasefires in Which Violations Never Cease
    What's Next for Israel, Hamas, and Gaza?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2014
    On August 26th, 2014, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) both accepted a ceasefire agreement after a 50-day Israeli assault on Gaza that left 2,100 Palestinians dead and vast landscapes of destruction behind. The agreement calls for an end to military action by both Israel and Hamas, as well as an easing of the Israeli siege that has strangled Gaza for many years.
  18. Central America
    The Next Phase
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1988
    Chomsky explores the nature of the Reagan Administration's initiatives and intents for Nicaragua and Central America. He reveals underlying problems such as the tendency of the US Government to adopt violent tactics due to its political weakness and military strength.
  19. A Century Later
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1998
    The year 1898 was a turning point for the American Republic in terms of boundary and economic establishment. Chomsky moves through the next 100 years during which America increasingly became involved in affairs outside of its borders.
  20. Chomsky and His Critics
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2015
    Noam Chomsky on ISIS, his foreign policy critics, and why socialist ideas are "never far below the surface."
  21. Noam Chomsky Quotes
    Resource Type: Unclassified
  22. Chomsky on Anarchism
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2005
    This collection of essays and interviews paint a fresh picture of Chomsky, showing his life-long involvement with anarchist and libertarian socialist currents, his commitment to nonhierarchical models of political organization, and his hopes for a future world without rulers.
  23. Chomsky on Democracy and Education
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2002   Published: 2003
    Education stands at the intersection of Noam Chomsky's two lives as scholar and social critic: As a linguist he is keenly interested in how children acquire language, and as a political activist he views the education system as an important lever of social change.This book gathers for the first time his impressive range of writings on these subjects, spanning issues of language, power, policy and method.
  24. Chomsky on Post-Modernism 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1995
    What I find in the writings of the post-modernists is extremely pretentious, but on examination, a lot of it is simply illiterate, based on extraordinary misreading of texts that I know well (sometimes, that I have written), argument that is appalling in its casual lack of elementary self-criticism, lots of statements that are trivial (though dressed up in complicated verbiage) or false; and a good deal of plain gibberish.
  25. The Chomsky Reader
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1987
    The political and linguistic writings of America's leading dissident intellectual. He relates his political ideals to his theories about language.
  26. Class Warfare
    Interviews with David Barsamian
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1996
  27. Cold War II
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2007
    Chomsky depicts the growing US-Israeli conflict with the Middle East as a potential precursor to the escalation of tensions to Cold War standards - except with nuclear technologies now threatening a very "hot" outcome.
  28. The Colombia Plan
    April 2000
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2000
    In response to military assistance and "emergency" financial aid for Columbia,
    Chomsky explores the negative consequences of US intervention.
  29. Constructive Action?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Chomsky questions to what extent American involvement and authority in the affairs of Israel's conflict with the Arabs can be considered constructive. He examines the effects of what he deems to be "colonial policing".
  30. The Crimes of 'Intcom'
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Chomsky differentiates between the term "international community" and its other more technical usage referring to the partnering of the USA and several allies. Chomsky labels the latter as "Intcom" and identifies several of its criminal actions.
  31. Crisis And Hope: Theirs And Ours 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Overcoming the multiple crises means tearing down an enormous edifice of delusions about markets, free trade, and democracy that has been assiduously constructed over many years and overcoming the marginalization and atomization of the public so that they can become participants, not mere spectators of action.
  32. Crisis in the Balkans
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    Chomsky illustrates the situation in Kosovo and considers NATO involvement in the context of the international order and its rules.
  33. The Culture of Fear
    In Javier Giraldo, Colombia: The Genocidal Democracy
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1996
    Chomsky looks the horrors of Columbia's "democra-tatorship" and its accessories, hailing Giraldo's work as an inspiration for bringing these terrors to an end.
  34. The Culture of Terrorism
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1988
    Chomsky argues that the United States elites are dedicated to the rule of force, and that their commitment to violence and lawlessness has to be masked by an ideological system which attempts to control and limit the domestic damage done when the mask occasionally slips.
  35. The Current Bombings
    Behind the rhetoric
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    Noam Chomsky discusses his observations on the NATO bombing in Kosovo in relation to the "rules of world order".
  36. A Dangerous Neighbourhood
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Noam Chomsky explores the relationship between the USA and South America. He reveals that due to numerous anti-social policies, America is becoming increasingly isolated - even from Canada.
  37. The Decline of the Democratic Ideal
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1990
    Noam Chomsky contemplates the disappearance of democratic ideals by examining the American reactions to the outcome of the 1990 elections in Nicaragua.
  38. Deep Concerns
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Despite apparent defeat by the ongoing war in Iraq, Chomsky outlines the tasks that remain for those concerned about justice and human rights.
  39. Democracy Enhancement
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1994
    Chomsky explores the American goal of spreading democracy to other nations through intervention. His assertions are supported in the second part of the essay with a case study of Haiti.
  40. Democracy in a Neoliberal Order
    Doctrines and Reality
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1997
  41. Democracy Restored
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1994
    In light of the third anniversary of the military coup that overthrew the elected government of Haiti in 1991, Chomsky exposes the grittier side of America's involvement in the restoration of democracy in Haiti.
  42. Destroying the Commons 
    How the Magna Carta Became a Minor Carta
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    Our rights and liberties are under ever-increasing attack.
  43. Deterring Democracy
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1991
  44. The Disconnect in US Democracy
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    Noam Chomsky describes how the American people are excluded from political participation, claiming that action must also come before and after elections and not only once every four years.
  45. Discurs Politic
    Tres Converencies a Catalunya
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1993   Published: 1998
  46. Domestic Constituencies
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1998
    Chomsky, assuming the principle that governments are bound to act according to the will of their "domestic constituencies", considers the degree to which this is done as a measure of the health of democracy. In turn, he calls for the public to discover what is being planned for them.
  47. Domestic Terrorism
    Notes on the State System of Oppression
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    Starting with the curious events in Detroit 1971 associated with the Socialist Worker's party, Chomsky investigates FBI disruption programs, their consequences and meaning. He defines this systematic contamination as a sort of domestic terrorism.
  48. Dominance and its Dilemmas
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky responds to the Bush Administration's announcement of the new National Security Strategy that asserts power through force. He discusses the accompanying implications of the strategy and warns against using violence as a means of control.
  49. The Dominion and The Intellectuals
    Noam Chomsky interviewed by an anonymous interviewer
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky says "one of the reasons why I am considered "public enemy number one" among a large sector of intellectuals in the U.S. is that I mention that the U.S. is one of the major terrorist states in the world and this assertion, though plainly true, is unacceptable for many intellectuals."
  50. Drain the Swamp and There Will Be No More Mosquitoes
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Chomsky parallels the pursuit of American interests through intervention in foreign regions to the creation of swamps, and respectively, terrorists to mosquitoes.
  51. East Timor
    Comments On the Occasion of the Forthcoming APEC Summit
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    In light of the atrocities of the situation in East Timor and the pending APEC conference, Chomsky calls attention to the need to address the issue and to use the conference as an immediate opportunity to do so.
  52. East Timor Restrospective
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    Noam Chomsky describes the developments of the East Timor crisis and how the international community could have put an end to it much earlier.
  53. Eastern Exposure
    Misrepresenting the Peace Process
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1996
    Noam Chomsky examines and praises Norman Finkelstein's study of the difference between the image and reality of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
  54. The Election, Economy, War, and Peace
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky points out that the Democratic triumph in the 2008 election was indeed historic, but also relatively slight. He explores the factors that played a role in preventing a landslide victory for President Obama.
  55. Elections 2000
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2001
    Chomsky reviews the details of the 2000 elections and reveals the tendency of dysfunction in democratic electoral models.
  56. Empire and Its Discontents
    "Losing" the World
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
  57. The Empire and Ourselves
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1986
    Chomsky begins by asking why America's interest in a nation occurs when it does: why discuss Central America now and not 10 years ago? And why the concern with Central America over Haiti? He continues by exploring several instances in which the reasons of US involvement seem to be rooted in self-interest as opposed to strictly regional needs.
  58. The Essential Chomsky 
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2007   Published: 2008
    For the past forty years Noam Chomsky's writings on politics and language have established him as a preeminent public intellectual and as one of the most original and wide-ranging political and social critics of our time.The Essential Chomsky assembles the core of his most important writings, including excerpts from his most influential texts over the past forty years.
  59. "Exterminate all the Brutes": Gaza 2009
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Israel has a straightforward means to defend itself: put an end to its criminal actions in occupied territories, and accept the long-standing international consensus on a two-state settlement that has been blocked by the US and Israel for over 30 years, since the US first vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for a political settlement in these terms in 1976. The Arab League has gone even beyond the consensus, calling for full normalization of relations with Israel. Hamas has repeatedly called for a two-state settlement in terms of the international consensus. Iran and Hezbollah have made it clear that they will abide by any agreement that Palestinians accept.
  60. Failed States
    The abuse of power and the assault on democracy
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2006   Published: 2007
    Failed States offers a comprehensive analysis of a global superpower that has long claimed the right to reshape other nations while its own democratic institutions are in severe crisis. Chomsky systematically dismantles the United States' pretense of being the world's arbiter of democracy.
  61. The Fateful Triangle
    Israel, the United States and the Palestinians
    Resource Type: Book
    Chomsky examines how Israel has systematically tried to eradicate the Palestinians as a political, national and cultural entity by stealing their land, invasion and occupation and how this has been made possible by U.S. aid.
  62. For Reasons of State
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1973
    Essays in which Chomsky analyzes the role of the American state and discusses some of the ways in which individuals can respond to its growing power.
  63. Foreword to the War Crimes Tribunal on Vietnam
    In Bertrand Russell's War Crimes Tribunal on Vietnam
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1971
    Chomsky introduces the themes to be explored in Russell's book on the Vietnam Tribunal. He points out the complacency in Europe and the USA and calls the Tribunal as a renouncement of the crime of silence. Although the Tribunal was not accurately reported, criticisms arose, two of which Chomsky highlights: 1) The bias of jurors, witnesses and participants; and 2) The superfluous nature of the Tribunal in light of the atrocity of the crime of barbarism.
  64. From Central America to Iraq
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    Noam Chomsky bitterly criticizes the regular exclusion of America from the principle of universality and the impunity with which the nation acts.
  65. Gaza's Torment, Israel's Crimes, Our Responsibilities
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2014
    It is important to understand what life is like in Gaza when Israel’s behavior is “restrained,” in between the regular manufactured crises like this one. When Israel is on “good behavior,” more than two Palestinian children are killed every week, a pattern that goes back over 14 years. The underlying cause is the criminal occupation and the programs to reduce Palestinian life to bare survival in Gaza, while Palestinians are restricted to unviable cantons in the West Bank and Israel takes over what it wants, all in gross violation of international law and explicit Security Council resolutions, not to speak of minimal decency.
  66. "Good News," Iraq and Beyond
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky explores why the issue of Iraq seems to have fallen to the wayside following the 2006 mid-term election. He cites the necessity for diversion of the masses away from (lacking) political options to PR-created "character" and "good news". But he insists that the question of "the clash of civilizations" must indeed remain prominent in the minds of voters.
  67. Government in the Future
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2005
    In this classic talk delivered at the Poetry Center, New York, on February 16, 1970, Noam Chomsky articulates a clear, uncompromising vision of social change. Chomsky contrasts the classical liberal, libertarian socialist, state socialist, and state capitalist world views and then defends a libertarian socialist vision as "the proper and natural extension . . . of classical liberalism into the era of advanced industrial society."
  68. Guillotining Gaza
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2007
    Noam Chomsky briefly depicts the many factors which prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and promote ongoing conflict in the region.
  69. Guilt of War Belongs to All
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1995
    Chomsky discusses the guilt of war and Japan's refusal to apologize for its role in the Second World War.
  70. The Gulf Crisis
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    In light of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Chomsky identifies two different responses: economic sanctions and the threat of war. He questions the reason for these unprecedented actions as well as what was behind such tactical divisions over essentially shared interests. Noting that policy is dependent on goals, Chomsky illustrates that American action reveals the goal of establishing the rule of force as opposed to liberating Kuwait.
  71. Gulf War Pullout
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    In a "question and answer" format, Chomsky addresses what he rationally does and does not find to be plausible motivations for America's invasion of Kuwait.
  72. Hegemony or Survival 
    America's Quest for Global Dominance
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2003   Published: 2004
    Chomsky documents how, for more than half a century, the United States has been pursuing a grand imperial strategy with the aim of dominating the globe.
  73. His Right to Say It
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1981
    Chomsky takes the opportunity to clarify the details of the so-called Faurisson Affair in which he played a catalytic role by signing a controversial petition. He defends his involvement by reiterating and exploring the principle of self-expression irrespective of content.
  74. Hopes and Prospects
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2009
    Chomsky shows how new social struggles, from Bolivia to Venezuela, are challenging the Washington Consensus and posing democratic alternatives for the continent, and explores the potential for change - as well as continuity - under the new Obama administration.
  75. Hordes of Vigilantes & Popular Elements Defeat MAI, for Now
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1998
    Chomsky comments on the failure of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) intended to consider, for example, international environmental and labour standards.
  76. How America Determines Friends and Foes
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    Bush II's approach to "ridding the world of evil" includes treating every nation harboring terrorists as terrorist states. Chomsky ponders what this standard would mean if applied to America.
  77. How US Democracy Triumphed Again
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2001
    Chomsky explores the discrepancies of the Bush-Gore tie in the 2000 elections such as income correlation and the lack of voter participation, revealing meaningful flaws in the democratic system.
  78. Human Rights and American Foreign Policy
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1975   Published: 1978
  79. Human Rights Week 2002
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky details the meaning behind Human Rights Week, despite the lack of enthusiasm in North America. He highlights, in particular, the achievements of the Kurdish Human Rights Project (KHRP).
  80. Humanitarian Imperialism
    The New Doctrine of Imperial Right
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky considers "humanitarian intervention" and "the responsibility to protect" as new norms in international affairs by examining the institutional structures which produced the policies responsible for such developments.
  81. Humanity Imperiled: The Path To Disaster 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2013
    For the first time in the history of the human species, we have clearly developed the capacity to destroy ourselves. That's been true since 1945. It's now being finally recognized that there are more long-term processes like environmental destruction leading in the same direction, maybe not to total destruction, but at least to the destruction of the capacity for a decent existence.
  82. Humanity Once Came to the Cliff's Edge of Total Self-Annihilation -- Let's Make Sure It Never Happens Again
    Revisiting the catastrophe that almost was
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    The world stood still 50 years ago during the last week of October, from the moment when it learned that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba until the crisis was officially ended -- though unknown to the public, only officially.
  83. Imperial Presidency
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomsky explores the conception of presidential authority and sovereignty, depicting the dangers of the Bush administration's understanding of these concepts.
  84. Impressions of Gaza
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    Even a single night in jail is enough to give a taste of what it means to be under the total control of some external force. And it hardly takes more than a day in Gaza to begin to appreciate what it must be like to try to survive in the world's largest open-air prison, where a million and a half people, in the most densely populated area of the world, are constantly subject to random and often savage terror and arbitrary punishment.
  85. In Defense of the Student Movement
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1971
    In 1971, Chomsky proclaims the student movement to be the one organized segment of the intellectual community that is genuinely and actively committed to the kind of social change needed. However, he outlines what he finds to be the grave tactical mistakes being made by the movement, one being their search for confrontation. Chomsky sees this as "suicidal". However, regardless of his practical criticisms, he continues to express his explicit support.
  86. In North Vietnam
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1970
    Chomsky traveled to North Vietnam in 1970 to explore the state of the country and give lectures at the Polytechnic University. While there, he discovered that although the nation had begun to lay the foundations for modernization and development, progress had been dramatically disrupted through the war with America. He reveals that the "air war of destruction" was in fact not as accurate in targeting military points as previously claimed. Yet Chomsky notes the enduring spirit of the Vietnamese who accept each struggle - whether with the Chinese, Mongols, Japanese, French, or Americans - as a succession of victories.
  87. Intelligent Design?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomsky discusses the Bush Administration's understanding of science, touching upon issues such as Evolution, Creationism, and environmental policy.
  88. International Terrorism
    Image and Reality - In Alexander George (ed.), Western State Terrorism
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    Chomsky identifies two approaches to evaluating terrorism: the literal and propagandistic. He further explores various cases, factors and forms of terrorism according to literal analysis, yet concludes by admitting that in order to understand the phenomenon in the context of reality, one must abandon the literal for the propagandistic approach.
  89. Interventions
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2007
    Noam Chomsky says that the freedom to challenge power is not just an opportunity, it's a responsibility. Concise and fiercely argued, Interventions covers the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Bush presidency, Israel and Palestine, national security, the escalating threat of nuclear warfare, and more.
  90. Introduction
    In Juan Pablo Ordoñez, No Human Being Is Disposable
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1995
    Chomsky explores the relationship between America, Columbia and human rights. He touches upon the issues of arms, drugs and America's general establishment of a favourable investment climate in the region.
  91. Introduction: Project Censored 25th Anniversary
    In Peter Phillips (ed.), Project Censored 2001
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2001
    Chomsky examines "Project Censored" and its contents, revealing a telling pattern: the stories all appeal to public rather corporate-state interests. Such an observation poses questions of media ownership and censorship in relationship to democracy.
  92. Invasion Newspeak
    U.S. and USSR
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1989
    In 1983, newscaster, Vladimir Danchev, declared opposition to Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. Chomsky comments on the remarkability not just of this opposition, but the use of the term "invade" - a word, he points out, that had not been used in American mainstream media in reference to South Vietnam.
  93. The Iraq War and Contempt for Democracy
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky highlights that while the war in Iraq was being shaped, the voices of the people - neither in Iraq nor Europe - were being heard or considered. This is a clear violation of the principle that people play the main role in democratic societies.
  94. Is Peace at Hand?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1988
    In light of the signing of a Peace Agreement by the Central American Presidents in 1988, Chomsky discusses if this step could be the first towards peace in this region of U.S dependencies, investigating primarily the prospects of implementation.
  95. An Island Lies Bleeding
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1994
    Chomsky criticizes the major powers for their role in Indonesia's assault against East Timor and cites John Pilger's work as the key to heightened awareness of the situation.
  96. Israel, Lebanon, and the "Peace Process"
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1996
    Chomsky illustrates the position of Lebanon amidst the conflicts and interventions belonging to the Israel-Arab contention.
  97. The Israel Lobby?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Noam Chomsky comments on an article by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in which they assert that "the Lobby" dominates over strategic-economic interests in Israel's policy-making. Although Chomsky praises this courageous stand, he explains why he does not agree with this thesis.
  98. Issues that Obama and Romney Avoid
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    With the quadrennial presidential election extravaganza reaching its peak, it’s useful to ask how the political campaigns are dealing with the most crucial issues we face. The simple answer is: badly, or not at all. If so, some important questions arise: why, and what can we do about it?
  99. It's Fantasy Economy!
    Some Expert Views on What Should Happen Next
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    What happens next should be up to the public. It's striking to note that this is not even an option here.
  100. It's Imperialism, Stupid
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomksy claims that when Bush proclaimed the presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction as the premise for invading Iraq, imperialism was, in fact, the genuine motivation.
  101. It's the Oil, stupid!
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Noam Chomsky questions why the USA is in Iraq. He determines that the suspicion of oil-induced motivation is indeed an understatement.
  102. Jubilee 2000
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1998
    Asserting that debt is a social and ideological construct, not a simple economic fact, Chomsky examines various qualifications for the Jubilee 2000 that called for international debt cancellation.
  103. A Just War? Hardly
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Chomsky identifies the premises of "just war theory". He claims that in both the case of Kosovo and Afghanistan these were not adhered to, thus the foundation for "just war" was absent.
  104. Knowledge of Language
    Its Nature, Origin and Use
    Resource Type: Book
  105. Kosovo Peace Accord
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    In response to the Peace Accord achieved between Serbia and NATO, Chomsky questions how peace could be declared or radical change expected considering the lack of institutional or structural adjustment in the region.
  106. Latin America and Asia Are at Last Breaking Free of Washington's Grip
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Chomsky discusses the growing independence of these regions from US domination.
  107. Latin America Declares Independence
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    After centuries of foreign domination, South America is rising to shed the dependencies of North America on the continent's resources, markets, and investment opportunities.
  108. The Leading Terrorist State
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2014
    "It's official: The U.S. is the world's leading terrorist state, and proud of it." That should have been the headline for the lead story in The New York Times on Oct. 15, which was more politely titled "CIA Study of Covert Aid Fueled Skepticism About Helping Syrian Rebels."
  109. Letters from Lexington
    Reflections on Propaganda
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1993
  110. Making the Future
    Occupations, Interventions, Empire and Resistance
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2012
  111. Mandate for Change
    Or Business as Usual
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1993
    In light of the newly elected President Clinton, Chomksy illustrates why the key word of his campaign, "change", really meant that nothing would indeed. He covers issues including some which he a categorzes as broken campaign promises and others which escape this label.
  112. The Manipulation of Fear
    Resort to Fear
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomsky discusses the effects of using fear as a control mechanism to manipulate the population.
  113. Market Democracy in a Neoliberal Order
    Doctrines and Reality
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1997
    Noam Chomsky illustrates the importance of considering doctrine against the background of reality. He reveals that the political and economic principles that have prevailed are often remote from those that are proclaimed.
  114. Mayday
    The Case for Civil Disobedience
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1971
    Chomsky addresses the expected "cooling" of the Student Movement in light of negative reviews of the May Day demonstration. He analyzes this cooling as a key factor in US strategy, especially in relation to the Congress and disputes arguments such as civil disobedience is illegitimate in a democracy as decisions are reached via democratic institutions. After his exploration of the numerous questions surrounding the issue of civil disobedience, Chomsky warns that by blocking channels of protest, the government may "bring about a domestic crisis of indeterminable proportions".
  115. The Meaning of Vietnam
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1975
    Chomsky believes that no outside power will make the USA own up to the factual account of the war and the domestic resistance it faced. He claims that efforts will actually be made to obscure this history. Consequentially, Chomsky, as a sort of custodian of history, attempts to gather these facts and discuss the ideological conflict over "the lessons of Vietnam".
  116. Media Control
    The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1997   Published: 2002
    Chomsky begins by asserting two models of democracy: one in which the public actively participates, and one in which the public is manipulated and controlled. According to Chomsky "propaganda is to democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state," and the mass media is the primary vehicle for delivering propaganda in the United States.
  117. Media Control and Indoctrination in the United States
    An Interview With Catherine Komp
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2013
    An excerpt from the just released 2nd edition of Noam Chomsky’s OCCUPY: Class War, Rebellion and Solidarity.
  118. Memories
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1995
    Regarding 1995 as the year of memories, Noam Chomsky critically accounts numerous historical conflicts before exploring the content of Robert McNamara's memoirs, In Retrospect.
  119. The Menace of Liberal Scholarship
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1969
    Noam Chomsky builds upon Senator Fullbright's criticism of social science scholars which suggests that they have failed to act as independent critics of government policies and having instead become agents. Chomsky agrees with Fullbright that this phenomena betrays public trust and states that the subversion of scholarship is a threat to society as a whole. He reveals several causes of this subversion, for example the access to power, shared ideology, and professionalization. Through the presentation of the positions of numerous scholars, he explores this malady and points to the potential of the intellectual community to revolutionize this tradition of scholarship though a more humane, objective, and independent movement.
  120. Middle East Diplomacy
    Continuities and Changes
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    In October 1991 a Conference on the Middle East was held in Madrid. Chomsky compares and contrasts two perspectives on this event. The first praises President Bush's diplomacy skills and accredits this great achievement to US efforts and is the one that dominates public discussion. The other is Chomsky's own which probes such questions as why these efforts came about when they did and were they to mark a new US position.
  121. Middle East Illusions
    including Peace in the Middle East? Reflections on Justice and Nationhood
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2003
    Written during the last 30 years, these pieces display many characteristics of Chomsky's thought: a deep mistrust of U.S. and Israeli intentions and a desire to change the course of history. Chomsky is erudite, and some of the points are now standard in discussion about the Middle East, such as the contradiction of Israel being both a Jewish state and a democracy.
  122. Militarizing Latin America
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Establishing US military bases in Colombia is only one part of a much broader effort to restore Washington's capacity for military intervention. There has been a sharp increase in US military aid and training of Latin American officers, focusing on light infantry tactics to combat "radical populism" -- a concept that sends shivers up the spine in the Latin American context.
  123. Mirror Crack'd
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Noam Chomsky suggests that Western powers have regularly induced such atrocities in foreign lands as were perpetrated on 9/11 on American soil. He warns that through pre-emptive military action in Afghanistan, the international society may be in danger of less than attractive consequences in the future.
  124. A Modest Proposal
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Chomsky explores the idea of having Iran liberate Iraq from the grips of Sadaam Hussein. He suggests that had the genuine goals mirrored those which were proclaimed, this may have been a plausible alternative.
  125. Moral Truisms, Empirical Evidence, and Foreign Policy
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Noam Chomsky systematically discusses terrorism and "just war" in relationship to moral standards such as "what goes for others goes for us". He demonstrates that, according to US behavior in the past and this principle, other actors may be entitled to use terrorist strategy against the USA.
  126. The Most Wanted List, International Terrorism
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Revealing the difference between America's use of the term "the world" and the conception which would actually include the entire globe, Chomsky demonstrates that if the "world's" voice were heeded, other terrorist concerns would likely top the agenda.
  127. My Reaction to Osama bin Laden's Death
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2011
    We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bush’s compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic.
  128. Necessary Illusions 
    Thought Control in Democratic Societies
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1989   Published: 1991
    An inquiry into the nature of the media and the role of intellectuals in "a political system where the population cannot be disciplined by force, and thus must be subjected to more subtle forms of ideological control."
  129. Neocolonial Invitation to a Tribal War
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2001
    Chomsky discusses American involvement and authority in the affairs of Israel, for example, regarding Israel's withdrawal and the establishment of a Palestinian state. He attributes the lack of progress in the region to such intervention.
  130. A New Generation Draws the Line
    Kosovo, East Timor and the Standards of the West
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2001   Published: 2002
    1999 saw two major international crises which illuminate the strategies of the Western powers in the new century.In East Timor the warnings of further escalation in an unfolding humanitarian disaster could not have been more apparent. Chomsky points out, the West did not need to do very much to prevent this, but East Timor is of little strategic interest to the US and its allies, so they did nothing.By comparison, the intervention in Kosovo by NATO is very different, and Chomsky argues that strategic concerns were at stake; humanitarianism was not the moving force behind the military intervention in Yugoslavia.
  131. The New Military Humanism
    Lessons from Kosovo
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1999   Published: 2002
    Was the war over Kosovo really a multi-national effort waged solely for humanitarian reasons? Or was it the establishment of a new world order headed by self-proclaimed "enlightened states" with enough military might to ignore international law and world opinion? In this new book, begun after the NATO bombs started dropping in Yugoslavia and finished as the defeated Serbian forces were leaving the Kosovo province, Chomsky gives us an overview of that changing world order with "might makes right" as its foundation.
  132. New World Order
    A postwar analysis
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    Everyone is allowed to play the game, so long as it's according to the U.S. rules.
  133. New World Relationships
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2006
    Chomsky describes the relationships developing between China, Europe and Latin America while the US remains occupied in the Middle East, leaving the nation as the odd one out.
  134. 9-11
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2001
    In 9-11 Noam Chomsky dissects the root causes of the September 11th catastrophe, the historical precedents for it, and the possible outcomes as the United States responds with its "new war on terrorism." Chomsky argues for an international rule of law; existing bodies such as the U.N. and World Court must be given credence and then relied upon. React with extreme violence, he writes, and expect to escalate the cycle of violence, leading to still further atrocities such as the one that is inciting the call for revenge.
  135. Noam Chomsky on 1968
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky explores the milestones achieved in this monumental year, including human and ethnic rights, global solidarity, environmental concern, etc. Despite simultaneously tragic realities of 1968, the results have been long-lasting and positive.
  136. Noam Chomsky: Palestine 2012 - Gaza and the UN resolution
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    An analysis of the political context of Gaza since the first free elections in the Middle East were held.
  137. Notes on Anarchism
    In Daniel Guerin, Anarchism: From Theory to Practice
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1970
    Noam Chomsky explores numerous variations and philosophies associated with the anarchist notion. He considers them in a context of historical development and elaborates with his own perspectives, explanations, and general commentary.
  138. Notes on NAFTA
    The Masters of Man
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1993
    Chomsky depicts the negative consequences of protectionist measures such as NAFTA in the wider context of the rights of workers, consumers, and the future generations who cannot "vote" in the market on environmental issues.
  139. Obama on Israel-Palestine
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Noam Chomsky criticizes Barack Obama's vague stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict and warns that there is much importance in what he is not expressing.
  140. Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship 
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky's classic analysis of the liberal scholarship that justified American foreign policy and aggression during the 1960s.
  141. On Academic Labor
    How Higher Education Ought to Be
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2014
    An edited transcript of remarks given by Noam Chomsky on 4 February 2014 to a gathering of members and allies of the Adjunct Faculty Association of the United Steelworkers in Pittsburgh, PA.
  142. On Power and Ideology
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1987
    Five lectures on U.S. international and security policy.
  143. On Resistance
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1967
    Several weeks after the 1967 anti-war demonstrations in Washington, Chomsky shares his impressions of resistance - both its possibilities and limitations.
  144. On the Backgrounds of the Pacific War
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1967
    This essay touches on several questions: on Muste's revolutionary pacifism and his interpretation of it in connection with the Second World War; on the backgrounds of Japan's imperial ventures; on the Western reaction and responsibility; and, by implication, on the relevance of these matters to the problems of contemporary imperialism in Asia. WHile Chomsky does not advocate a particular "political line", he does assert that it was the lack of radical political critique which, though not exclusively, contributed to the atrocity of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  145. On the US-Israeli Invasion of Lebanon
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    The supposed justifications for the invasion are a cynical fraud.
  146. Ossetia-Russia-Georgia
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky points out the hypocrisy of threatening Russia with exclusion from international society due to the violation of the international principle of respecting other nations' sovereignty. He further explores how to integrate and handle Russia in the context of the modern world order and the threat of a Cold War II.
  147. A Painful Peace
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1996
    Noam Chomsky investigates the factors of the Oslo II peace agreement struck between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

  148. The Paranoia of The Superrich And Superpowerful
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2013
    The United States is in favor of stability. But you have to remember what stability means. Stability means conformity to U.S. orders. We “stabilize” countries when we invade them and destroy them.
  149. The Passion for Free Markets
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1997
    Chomsky discusses the reasons for being skeptical of the WTO and its use as the forum for the export of American values.
  150. Peace in the Middle East?
    Reflections on Justice and Nationhood
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1969   Published: 1974
    An analysis of the Arab-Israeli conflict arguing for socialist bi-nationalism as the way out of the morass.
  151. The Pentagon Papers and U.S. Imperialism in South East Asia
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1972
    Chomsky considers the imperial interests of the USA in South East Asia, claiming that these are revealed in the Pentagon Papers. Then, after a detailed account of the content, he suggests that mere anti-communist goals were not the sole motivation for moving into the region but it was rather the "perceived significance of Southeast Asia for the integrated global system that was to be organised by American power."
  152. The People in Gravest Danger
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky discusses what makes the Kurds in Iraq the likeliest population to suffer most due to the war in Iraq.
  153. Perspectives On Power
    Reflections on Human Nature and the Social Order
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1997
    Chomsky sets down his thoughts on topics ranging from language and human nature, to the Middle East and East Timor.
  154. Philosophers and Public Philosophy
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1968
    In order for Chomsky to address the symposium's topic of Philosophers and Public Policy, he outlines the premises upon which his discourse is based. He claims that the USA faces a crisis that is largely due to "moral degeneration". For example, he asserts that the change of Vietnam policy should have been based on the fact it was "wrong" as opposed to the fact it was merely failing. Chomsky recognizes that philosophers are versed in the analysis of the intellectual culture of society and limits their responsibility to interpreting the world differently; the task of working for actual change is assigned to all citizens. Accordingly, he calls upon universities and professors to analyze the premises and ideologies of public policies - independent of the organs of power - consequentially laying the foundation for reestablishing the integrity of intellectual life, moral perception, and cultural values.
  155. Pirates and Emperors
    International Terrorism in the Real World
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1986   Published: 2000
  156. Pirates and Emperors, Old and New
    International Terrorism in the Real World
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2002
    This edition of Chomsky's dissection of terrorism explores the role of the USA in the Middle East and reveals how the media are used to manipulate public opinion about what constitutes terrorism . The book contains chapters on the global crisis stemming from the events of September 11, as well as original sections on Iran and the bombing of Libya.
  157. Power and Terror
    Post 9-11 talks and interviews
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky presents his latest thinking on terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and the meaning and true impact of militarism in the world today. Beginning with the fundamental principle that the exercise of violence against civilian populations is terror, regardless of whether the perpetrator is an underground network of Muslim extremists or the most powerful state in the world, Chomsky, in stark and uncompromising terms, challenges the United States to apply to itself the moral standards it demands of others.
  158. Power and Terror: Conflict, Hegemony, and the Rule of Force
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2011
    This updated and revised edition explores the dynamics of power relationships and international negotiations, and the use of terror between the Western countries and the nations of the Middle East in the post-9/11 era. Chomsky looks back to patterns since the Second World War to show how acts of terrorism today cannot be understood outside the context of Western power and state terror throughout the world, especially in the Middle East. This new edition offers the best opportunity to follow Chomsky’s analysis in its development during the ten years since 9/11.
  159. Powers and Prospects
    Reflections on Human Nature and the Social Order
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1996
  160. The President and the Presidency
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1973
    Chomsky assesses public reactions to the Watergate scandal, dividing them into two categories: cynicism or outrage. He further explores the different perceptions of what in fact Nixon's criminal actions were and discusses the meaning of the principle of unconstrained executive power in relation to democracy.
  161. Preventive War 'the Supreme Crime'
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky illustrates how the US-UK coalition reconfigured the term "pre-emptive" into "preventive" in an attempt to justify the invasion of Iraq despite opposition from the international society.
  162. Problems of Knowledge and Freedom
    The Russell Lectures
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1971   Published: 1972
    These lectures explore Bertrand Russell's work on empiricism, morality, linguistics and politics.
  163. Profit over People
    Neoliberalism and Global Order
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1999
    Chomsky confronts neoliberalsim: the pro-corporate system of economic and political policies presently waging a form of class war worldwide.
  164. The Prosperous Few and the Restless Many
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1993
    a collection of short commentaries by Noam Chomsky on global issues, drawn from interviews in the early 1990s. Topics include global economics, racism, NAFTA, and hot topics of the day.
  165. A Quick Reaction
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2001
    Noam Chomsky offers his immediate reactions to the atrocities of 9/11, focusing on the need to acquire insight into what may have led the perpetrators to commit such crimes.
  166. Rationality/Science 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1995
    Chomsky writes: "It strikes me as remarkable that the left today should seek to deprive oppressed people not only of the joys of understanding and insight, but also of tools of emancipation, informing us that the "project of the Enlightenment" is dead, that we must abandon the "illusions" of science and rationality--a message that will gladden the hearts of the powerful, delighted to monopolize these instruments for their own use."
  167. Reasons to Fear U.S.
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky reveals that since 9/11 the US has failed to address the roots of terrorism and has instead waged war rather than striving to achieve peace.
  168. Reflections on a Political Trial
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1968
    In wake of the sentencing of 4 of the 5 men on trial for illegal activities against the draft, Chomsky explores the details of the so-called "Spock" case as well as its meaning for both the "peace movement" and the state of American democracy. Though the issues of legality, legitimacy, and resistance must be, according to Chomsky, considered in the context of the democratic system, these were not addressed in Court. Chomsky reveals the flawed-nature of America's institutions, observing that if the outcome of this trial were to be taken as a guide of conduct, citizens would have to avoid all public acts undertaken jointly with others who share his views in order to avoid risk of prosecution.
  169. The Repression at Belgrade University
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1974
    During the 1960s, the philosophy and sociology departments of the Belgrade University in former Yugoslavia began discussing general social issues such as the meaning of technology, of freedom and democracy, of social progress, and of the role of culture in building a socialist society. In response, authorities tried to repress these discussions. Chomsky presents the background, developments, and situation of the conflict.
  170. Reshaping History
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
  171. The Responsibility of Intellectuals 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1967
    It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies.
  172. Rethinking Camelot
    JFK, the Vietnam War, and US Political Culture
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1993
    Chomsky analyzes the Kennedy Administration's policy on the Vietnam War and compares the US Administrations of Presidents Kennedy and Reagan.
  173. Review of Man of the People: A Life of Harry S Truman
    by Alonzo L Hamby
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1996
    Chomsky criticizes Hamby's biographical attempt claiming that Truman - regardless of how his achievements are regarded - deserves a better account.
  174. Revolution of '89
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1990
    Noam Chomsky explores the asymmetry between the resistance developments in Central America in relation to US power, and in Eastern Europe in relation to the Soviet.
  175. Rogue States
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1998
    Chomsky investigates the meaning of the term "rogue state", its conception, and its role in international relations and policy-making.
  176. Rogue States
    The Rule of Force in World Affairs
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2000
    In Rogue States, Noam Chomsky holds the world's superpowers to their own standards of the rule of law and finds them appallingly lacking.
  177. Rollback
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1995
    Chomsky investigates the meaning of the "the triumph of conservatism" against the background of democracy, human rights and civil society.
  178. Scenes from the Uprising
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1988
    Noam Chomsky calls upon his visits to Israel and Nicaragua to explore the nature of popular struggle in regions under occupation.
  179. Season of Travesties
    Freedom and Democracy in mid-2009
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Noam Chomsky criticizes the elections in Lebanon and Iran as being inherently flawed - unlike the "free and fair" election held in Palestine in 2006 for which the people were punished for voting the "wrong way". He tries to illustrate a general picture of the health of democracy and freedom in those areas which are of most concern to the US.
  180. Secrets, Lies and Democracy
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1994
    Noam Chomsky interviewed by David Barsamian.
  181. Selective Memory and a Dishonest Doctrine
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky highlights the fact that the crimes for which Saddam Hussein should have been held accountable in international court took place in the period of US-UK support. He criticizes the adopted doctrine which claims ignorance and handles the past as something irrelevant.
  182. Simple Truths, Hard Problems
    Some thoughts on terror, justice, and self-defence
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomsky discusses the truth behind commonly rejected moral truisms. This rejection, according to Chomsky, has serious human consequences.
  183. The Sledgehammer Worldview
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2014
    The U.S.-U.K. invasion of Iraq was a textbook example of aggression. Apologists invoke noble intentions, which would be irrelevant even if the pleas were sustainable. The destructive consequences of such aggression are clear, as evidenced in numerous historical examples of violent imperialism.
  184. The Social Security Non-Crisis
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomsky reveals the conception of Social Security trying to be sold by Bush administration. He claims such reformers encourage people to think solely of their own interests rather than caring for the community.
  185. Solution in Sight
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Chomsky presents the steps that must be taken in order to obliterate the threat of a potential nuclear apocalypse. Naturally, they do not include military solutions.
  186. Some Elementary Comments on The Rights of Freedom of Expression 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1980
    It is precisely in the case of horrendous ideas that the right of free expression must be most vigorously defended; it is easy enough to defend free expression for those who require no such defense.
  187. Somebody Else's Atrocities
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    Atrocities commited by official enemies are routinely condemned, but atrocities for which our own country is responsible are rarely mentioned.
  188. South America: Toward an Alternative Future
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2007
    With the death of Chilean dictator, Pinochet, and talks about a continent-wide union resembling the EU, Chomsky discusses the potential of South America to move in a new direction.
  189. The Soviet Union Versus Socialism
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1986
    Noam Chomsky explores the relationship between the two great systems of propaganda - socialism and the society created by Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin. In response to a certain doctrine assuming a relationship between the two, Chomsky argues that if this is indeed true, it is the relationship of contradiction.
  190. Starving the Poor
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2007
    Chomsky demonstrates how deficits in the international order and its policy-making can lead to negative effects, especially for the poor. One such example is the promotion of biofuels.
  191. Superpower and Failed States
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Noam Chomsky explores the characteristics of "failed states" and recognizes several within the US system. He suggests several options to improve democratic quality in America, citing that the failure to act would result in ominous repercussions.
  192. Terror and Just Response
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Chomsky explores different interpretations of the question regarding the proper response to terrorist crimes and of the broader problem of determining their nature.
  193. Terrorizing the Neighborhood
    American Foreign Policy in the post-Cold War Era
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1991
  194. There’s Always a Class War Going On
    An Interview with Chris Steele
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2013
    An excerpt from the second edition of Noam Chomsky’s OCCUPY: Class War, Rebellion and Solidarity published by Zuccotti Park Press.
  195. Thoughts Of A Secular Sufi
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2000
    Chomsky recalls the thoughts and words of the Pakistani antiwar-activist, Eqbal Ahmad, critic of "the twin curse of nationalism and religious fanaticism".
  196. The Torture Memos
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Chomsky comments on the revelations of and reactions to the White House report. He examines the proposed justifications and reasserts that despite the idea of "American exceptionalism", allowing instances of torture to be forgotten lays the foundation for future crime.
  197. Towards a New Cold War
    Essays on the Current Crisis and How We Got There
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1982
    A sobering assessment of American foreign policy from the end of the Vietnam era to Ronald Reagan.
  198. Turning Point?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2009
    Chomsky examines if Obama's speech in Cairo can reasonably be understood as an indication of a turning point in US Middle East policy. He expresses doubt in consideration of the intricate relationship between America and Israel.
  199. Turning the Tide
    U.S. Intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1985
    Turning the Tide shows how US Central American policies implement broader US economic, military, and social aims even while describing their impact on the lives of people in Central America.
  200. 2004 Elections
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    Chomsky explores potential implications of the 2004 election results in America, concluding they are, in fact, of little significance. For insight, he points instead to those public opinions which were not included in the process.
  201. The Umbrella of U.S. Power
    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Contradictions of U.S. Policy
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1999
    Chomsky observes the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a "Path to a Better World," while chronicling how far off the trail the United States is with respect to actual political practice and conduct. Analysing the contradictions of U.S. power while illustrating the real progress won by sustained popular struggle, Chomsky cuts through official political rhetoric to examine how the United States not only violates the UD, but at times uses it as a weapon to weild against designated enemies.
  202. Understanding the Bush Doctrine
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    After exploring elements of Bush's strategy, Chomsky summarizes that anyone is seemingly subject too attack, because every country has the ability and intent is in the eye of the beholder. The key, it appears, is the ability to lie about intentions.
  203. The United States and the "Challenge of Relativity"
    In Tony Evans (ed.), Human Rights Fifty Years on: A Reappraisal
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1998
    In light of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Chomsky examines the relativity with which America uses human rights principles to exercise selectivity in policy-making.
  204. US-Haiti
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    By examining the role of the USA in the tragedy of Haiti, Chomsky highlights the democracy deficit and failure of the American state. He calls for those concerned to take on the task at home of paying reparations and restoring the substance of democracy.
  205. Vain Hopes, False Dreams
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1992
    In a time in which hopes and dreams seemed to be fading from American society, Chomsky systematically explores the theory that the reason for JFK's assassination was his intention to withdraw from Vietnam.
  206. The Victors
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1990   Published: 1991
    An assumption was adopted in America that domestic issues were so close to being resolved that it was time to focus attention to sharing the nation's "basic spiritual principles" with the globe's underdeveloped regions. Chomsky critically evaluates regions where the benefits of American involvement should be obvious, revealing that such aid is usually motivated by self-interest and only incidentally reaps positive results for locals.
  207. Vietnam
    How the government became wolves
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1972
    In note of the fact that the American administrations never deviated from the basic assumption that communism must be defeated, Noam Chomsky describes how the image of the USA as a noble and virtuous political leader that is "bewildered and victimized, but not responsible" had been concocted.
  208. Viewpoints
    Where now for capitalism?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Noam Chomsky discusses the failure of financial institutions to calculate costs to those who do not participate in transactions and the effects of this in the wider context.
  209. A Visit to Laos
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1970
    Chomsky shares an account of his 1970 visit to Laos, revealing the heavy atmosphere owing to foreign power presence. "The US has penetrated every phase of existence (as well as destruction)." He explores Laos' recent political history in the contexts of the Pathet Laos and American involvement, as well as the difference between the local and American understandings of where the source of conflict lies.
  210. Voting Patterns and Abstentions
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2001
    Chomsky analyzes the phenomena of low voter participation and income correlation with election results as symptoms of an unhealthy democracy.
  211. A Wall as a Weapon
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    Chomsky discusses the debate surrounding the Israeli motion to build a wall of security. He acknowledges that the process in the Hague will unlikely bring about any change, even if the wall is determined to be illegal.
  212. Wanted a Leader for America
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Chomsky depicts how the issues concerning the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including the pre-determined risk of 9/11, went ignored under the Bush Administration which focused instead upon global domination ambitions.
  213. The war everyone forgot
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Chomsky probes what prompted the issue of Iraq to disappear from the agenda following the 2006 mid-term election.
  214. The War In Afghanistan
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    Noam Chomsky examines the military action of the US in Afghanistan, exploring America's breach of international law through the refusal to obtain Security Council authorization.
  215. Wars of Terror
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2003
    Chomsky explores the nature of terrorism, focusing on four main questions posed by the 9/11 tragedy.
  216. Was There an Alternative?
    Looking Back on 9/11, a Decade Later
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2011
    There is every likelihood that the Jihadi movement, much of it highly critical of bin Laden, could have been split and undermined after 9/11. The “crime against humanity,” as it was rightly called, could have been approached as a crime, with an international operation to apprehend the likely suspects. That was recognized at the time, but no such idea was even considered.
  217. Watergate
    A sceptical view
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1973
    Noam Chomsky asserts that in light of the other telling symptoms of an unhealthy democracy - such as Kissinger's murderous war ambitions - the Watergate scandal should not have come as a shock to even the least cynical. He illustrates why Nixon's small-scale coup attempt and the revelations which followed should not be the focus of skepticism, noting that there are other issues which deserve more attention.
  218. We are All Complicit
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2006
    Chomsky responds to Oliver Kamm's critique of his "crude and dishonest arguments". He illustrates that many people remain committed to complicity despite the crimes of the state for which we are all responsible.
  219. We Are All – Fill in the Blank
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2015
    We should condemn violence and terror, and defend freedom of the press. We should do so on the basis of consistent principles -- in contrast to the mainstream media and politicians, who condemn acts directed at 'us' but condone or ignore crimes committed by 'our side'.
  220. We Must Act Now to Prevent Another Hiroshima -- or Worse
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2005
    Noam Chomsky explains why society should be concerned about the threat of self-destruction, citing, for example, the failure of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
  221. We Own the World
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2007   Published: 2008
    The whole debate about the Iranian 'interference' in Iraq makes sense only on one assumption, namely, that we own the world. If we own the world, then the only question that can arise is that someone else is interfering in a country we have invaded and occupied.
  222. What a Fair Trial for Saddam Would Entail
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2004
    Chomsky identifies the actors and issues that would have to be included in the Tribunal process if Saddam Hussein were to be given a fair trial in international court. These include key members of the Bush I administration who were active during the years of Hussein's most atrocious crimes.
  223. What Americans Have Learnt --and not Learnt-- Since 9/11
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    While the American people seemed to have been shocked into awareness as a result of 9/11, Chomsky still identififes a lack of focus on the relevant issues.
  224. What If Iran Had Invaded Mexico?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2007
    Noam Chomsky reverses roles and questions how America would respond if a threatening invader took over Canada or Mexico in a "liberation" attempt. Would America stand by quietly?
  225. What Is the Common Good? 
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2014
    Humans are social beings, and the kind of creature that a person becomes depends crucially on the social, cultural and institutional circumstances of his life. We are therefore led to inquire into the social arrangements that are conducive to people's rights and welfare, and to fulfilling their just aspirations - in brief, the common good.
  226. What Makes Mainstream Media Mainstream
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1997
    Noam Chomsky shares his approach to analyzing media and reveals the meaning and consequence of the strategic design of communication.
  227. What Principles Rule the World?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2016
    According to Chomsky, the Global War on Terror sledgehammer strategy has spread jihadi terror from a tiny corner of Afghanistan to much of the world, from Africa through the Levant and South Asia to Southeast Asia. It has also incited attacks in Europe and the United States.
  228. What the American Media Won't Tell You About Israel
    The savage punishment of Gaza traces back to decades ago.
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2012
    An old man in Gaza held a placard that read: “You take my water, burn my olive trees, destroy my house, take my job, steal my land, imprison my father, kill my mother, bombard my country, starve us all, humiliate us all, but I am to blame: I shot a rocket back.”
  229. What Uncle Sam Really Wants
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1993
    Chomsky discusses examples of U.S. intervention and links together events stretching over four decades in regions throughout the world. He provides a quick synopsis of American foreign policy and paints a vivid picture of the realities faced by social movements.
  230. What We Say Goes
    Conversations on U.S. Power in a Changing World: Interviews with David Barsamian
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 2007
    In this new collection of conversations with David Barsamian, conducted in 2006 and 2007, Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: Iran's challenge to the United States, the deterioration of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of China, and the growing power of the left in Latin America.
  231. What We Say Goes
    The Middle East in the New World Order
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1991
    In response the President Bush's actions in Kuwait, America was deemed by a Catholic weekly in Rome to be "the surly master of the world". Chomsky explores the meaning of this accusation as well as America's vision for the New World Order.
  232. Where's the Iraqi voice?
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2008
    Despite the "shared beliefs" identified amongst Iraqis, for example the belief that the presence of foreign troops is a main cause of the escalation in violence, only the conquerors - in this case America - can decide when troops should be withdrawn.
  233. Who are the Global Terrorists?
    in Booth & Tim Dunne (eds.), Worlds in Collision: Terror and the Future of Global Order
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 2002
    In light of President George Bush's declaration of "war against terrorism", Chomsky attempts to determine who the opponents are and what the appropriate response to their crimes would be.
  234. Why Americans Should Care about East Timor
    Resource Type: Article
    First Published: 1999
    Noam Chomsky describes the situation in East Timor and the way in which America was directly involved. In turn, he calls for sufficient popular reaction in order to end the disaster for which the American Administration is significantly responsible.
  235. World Orders Old and New
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1994
    Chomsky surveys the international scene since 1945.
  236. Year 501 
    The Conquest Continues
    Resource Type: Book
    First Published: 1993
    An examination of the U.S. role in the world placed in the long historical perspective of the 500 years that followed the voyages of Columbus.