Secrets, Lies and Democracy (The Real Story Series)

Rating:
Summary: Important contribution
Review: Chomsky and I disagree on a lot, but he offers some compelling insight into the organizations that usurp modern democracy. Organizations such as the CIA and the media, for example. He also has thoughts about gun control, fundamentalism, and even sports.

I'd reccommend it for anyone interested in wanting to know more about the world around them, or about Chomsky's views.

Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: Chomsky at his inciteful best! Taken from interview transcripts by David Barsamian, this book reflects the Chomsky you may have heard on the radio or on a cassette. He presents information in a more casual manner than his "written" books. This book is a great introduction and a fast read (I knocked it off while waiting to see a doctor).

A great reference work for middle school kids writing social studies papers. Lots of facts, but not mind numbing scholarship to slog through. The book is well indexed, and contains a list organizations working to correct some of the problems he points out.

Chomsky continues to reiterate the thesis, which has made him famous, namely, that our democracy has been sold to the highest bidder. We do not live in a representative democracy, but rather a corporate oligarchy. While we go through the motions of free elections, in reality the choices have already been constrained to eliminate anybody who would reform the system.

In this short book (less than 100 pages of Chomsky), the first half is spent considering the failure of democracy in the United States. He then looks at the implications for the world, drawing some interesting conclusions. He notes that while the indigenous peasants of Chiapas (home of the Zapatistas) are nearly as oppressed as the chicanos living in East LA, the Angelenos are in much worse shape because of the destruction of Community.

Bottom line? It's a fast read. If you're predisposed to a progressive critique of politics and economics, it will support what you already believe. If not, you'll be annoyed and wish for footnotes so that you could refute him.

Rating:
Summary: Good Illustration of a Famous Guy's Perspectives
Review: I disagree with Chomsky on many fronts to the point of irritation, finding that his research appears to consist primarily of what he reads (e.g., without talking to people more in the know), his opinions are slanted towards the most negative/conspiracy theory perspective (e.g., his interpretation on p. 56 that Clinton's encouragement of people to go to church is "...straightforward. If people devote themselves to activities that are out of the public arena, then we folks in power will be able to run things the way we want"), and he generally complains without recognizing the full picture (for instance, his prediction on p. 20 that Alabama's offering tax breaks to Daimler Benz would have negative consequences for most of its citizens, despite more recent aftermath reports that Alabama significantly benefitted) or offering a better alternative. But this book is a good readable summary of some of his views, and he does have a few good points (such as, how people are distracted from participating in democracy--though Chomsky misses the extent to which less intellectual people are not interested in participating--and the extent to which people need to organize to get political power (though the list of organizations at the conclusion of the book is wide-ranging, and emphasis is placed upon the groups' stated missions without recognition of their tactics, some of which are highly questionable).

Rating:
Summary: Hands down, but who's surprised?
Review: Noam Chomsky, no doubt, ranks or will rank in the class of Foucault, Marx, and Voltaire. Some have argued that it is impossible to understand the late twentieth-century and early twenty-first-century without understanding Chomsky. I believe it.

"Secrets, Lies and Democracy," is a book based on famous interviews in context of the title. While not as valuable as his own writings, particularly "The Responsibility of Intellectuals," and "Manufacture Consent," one should reap a sharper political perspective from it. All of the interviewers have ranged from moderate to extreme radical, and it is great to see that Chomsky keeps all of his words in a cool and honest fashion.

One thing that ticked me off about Chomsky is his high use of assertions, especially when they are value-based. I guarantee that when Chomsky uses the word 'conservative,' the following sentences are harshly negative. It follows that 'radical,' brings up heavenly idealism. For example, I detected a certain amount of anarchist propaganda in these words:

"It's not very hard to sit down in an academic seminar or a small group or whatever and to lay out plans of even extreme detail, close detail, as to how a more free and democratic and just society - based on essentially anarchist principles - how it might function. I think we can do that, and it's probably worth doing."

And thus, I'm conflicted. I feel the fire of his words trying to fan down my common sense and intuition, but my intellect and heart tell me to listen to him. But in general, I think I support his beliefs only to a certain extent. Any kind of political theorist/philosopher has wishy-washy claims. Nevertheless, I'm still impressed by him, and will continue to listen to what he has to say.

Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: This book gives a LOT of information at a very understandable writing level. A lot is talked about the US's involvement with other nations and, how it also helped the nazi's and other things like that. It's very interesting. Somethings were talked about more than others though, and not completely explained, but for the most part, it's pretty well explained.

Rating:
Summary: Thomas Jefferson's fears realized...
Review: This is an interesting pamphlet of interviews by David Barsamian with Noam Chomsky, which covers a wide collection of topics from defective democracy, health care, religious fundamentalism, the CIA and the media.

The central thrust of these interviews focuses on the corporatization of our democratic system. In one interview, Chomsky cites Thomas Jefferson's warning or fear, made at the end of his life, stating, that, the elites, aristocrats, "fear and distrust of the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes." Democrats on the other hand, "identify with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise, depository of the public interest." What Jefferson was saying is that the people should have the reigns of power; we should be in control, and not the centralized, powerful elites. Jefferson's greatest fear was the "banking institutions and monied incorporations" (big business) and if they were allowed to influence politics, they would eventually run the entire show, benefiting the few at the exclusion of the majority. It is here, throughout this text, that Chomsky offers several examples how corporate America and big business internationally, influence our democratic system where, economically the "little guy' suffers while big business gets bigger as our basic wages plummet. In other terms, the rich get richer, the gap between rich and poor widens and only the few benefit.

One has only to look at the statistical indicators of countries around the world, comparing rich and poor sovereign states to see that nothing is changing for the better in developing countries but steadily getting worse, while the small percentage of rich countries, ironically exploiting these poorer countries, are improving their wealth. The gap is widening, particularly over the past thirty years, doubling the wealth in the top twenty percent, while the low twenty percent has become much poorer. These statistics speak for themselves, and there are reasons for this dramatic shift in wealth.

Politicians' incestuous connection to the corporate sector is well documented. Tax breaks for the rich, while the man or woman on basic wages supporting a family can pay, in some cases, more tax than a CEO. Our politicians for the obvious reasons protect the corporate sector: campaign contributions, personal investment, etc. Jefferson's fear and warning in the early 19th century against banking institutions and monied corporations involvement in politics has been realized.

Chomsky, in most cases, backs his arguments with statistical data and historical documentation that can be researched and checked by any interested individual. His words are never rhetorical, ad hominem arguments or self-righteous condemnations to push a personal agenda. He speaks about fact, revealing injustice and at times crimes against the common citizen that should not be ignored. This little book is a good starting point for further research into economic and international affairs.