12/14/21

Secrets, Lies and Democracy, Naom Chomsky, interviewed by David Barsamian (pp 106). 1994. Chomsky is—from an online profile—“an author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media. Ideologically, he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism.”

This book of interviews is highly critical of corporations and other authoritarian entities (never thought of them that way before), including most forms of government, including pseudo-democracies. While his criticisms are often harsh and suffer from overstatement, they are no more outrageous than what we hear from big business and government. Many of his ideas have at least a grain of truth and oftentimes much more. His ideas are worth reading regardless of one’s political beliefs. The interviews are wide ranging, cover a lot of societal territory, so there’s probably something of interest for everyone: corporate and special interests’ control of government, growing income gaps, interference in sovereign governments, and more. ( )

If I were going to be churlish (and I DID notice that look of surprise that I could be anything other!) I would say that this book is too America fixated but, as the text is taken from discourses on American radio stations, such a complaint would be, well... churlish.

There is certainly plenty in this book that is well worth reading and pertinent to us, whatever nation in which we choose to reside. It is frightening to realise that the book was written in 1994: it means that the system, which is slowly strangling the way of life in both first and third world countries, has been gathering pace for over twenty years. I very much like people such as Chomsky, who illustrate the problem simply and cogently, without the need for exaggerated language and name calling. It means that, whilst one may disagree with him, it is impossible to dismiss him as an old reactionary. Were more people to read this book, I feel sure that the TNC's would not be able to sneak through their pernicious changes to all our lives so, if you haven't read it, it may be bought incredibly cheaply (don't get me started upon how undervalued books are!) on line.

Are you still here? Why aren't you logging in to your preferred book dealer???? ( )

Edição da Ed. Universidade de Brasilia, 1999