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Chomsky Says Pick the Lesser of the Two Evils

Posted by Staff, The Real News Network at 1:00 PM on October 20, 2008.


The preeminent linguistics professor weighs in on presidential politics.

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Chomsky: People should vote against McCain and for Obama -- but without illusions.

AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.


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Quote from Howard Zinn
Posted by: fanny666 on Oct 20, 2008 2:14 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"I think voters should vote for Obama, not because he goes as far as needs to be gone, but because with Obama there is sort of a chance of a movement away from our present situation. Whereas with McCain, he is stuck in the Bush philosophy. With Obama there’s sort of little glimmers of possibility. Our big job is not just to vote for Obama so that there is a possibility, but to turn that possibility into a reality by creating a social movement in this country which Obama will have to pay attention to — because that, ultimately, is what brings about change. The President or Congress have never initiated important change. No, what’s needed is a social movement such as we had in the labor movements of the 1930s, the black movement, the anti-war movement, womens’ movement of the ’60s, a new social movement in this country which will shake up Obama and his conservative cabinets and move them in bolder directions just as the agitators of the ’30s moved FDR in a bolder direction."

-Howard Zinn

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Right... this from Simon Says Chomsky that Wants us All to Forget 9/11 Coverup
Posted by: PointMan on Oct 20, 2008 3:27 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sure McCain is supposedly worse than Obama who both promoted a martial law Wall street corporate crime Bailout. That's McCain and Obama who both dance at the pleasure of EXACTLY the same police state malefactors.

This will be like taking a beating from a metal pipe vs a metal baseball bat.

When the "lesser of two evils" is being judged by Noam Chomsky who considers accountability for 9/11 and its coverup phony "war on terror" a side issue, guess how much that opinion is worth.

Even Obama's own corner is calling the man a shill.

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» Chomsky knows the 9/11 Coverup Posted by: weathered
Which is the lesser of two evils, MIT or the University of California?
Posted by: gunboat diplomat on Oct 20, 2008 6:54 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We still live in a world where military, political and economic agendas go hand in hand, and the basis of most of that is still control of food and energy supplies.

With the economy tanking, the U.S. will be looking to arms sales. Chomsky is an employee of MIT, and in our brave new world of public-private partnerships (i.e. MIT/Lockheed), that also means that he is being paid by the very military-industrial complex he criticizes. That's okay in an open, democratically minded educational organization, but not in a closed hierarchical corporation.

For example, MIT has played the lead academic role in boosting missile defense programs, despite some VERY questionable results. The whole thing looks like pork barrel for major defense contractors like United Technologies and Lockheed Martin...

Salon, 2001, Joe Conason: The rigged missile defense test

The target destroyed in the "successful" defense shield test contained a global positioning satellite beacon that made it easier to detect. Why has the media mostly ignored the story?


The story continues...

3 December 2002: A missile coverup at MIT?
By James Carroll The Boston Globe


Here's a suggestion for Professor Chomsky: if you want to be taken a bit more seriously, why don't you consider resigning your post in protest at the behavior of your university, which, along with the University of California, is one of the most slavish attendants of the military-industrial complex that you rail against?

At the very least, could you spend a bit more time discussing what's going on in academics today, under the guise of Bayh-Dole patent privatization law and the explosive growth of secretive public-private partnerships?

I.G. Farben had a nice public-private partnership with the National Socialists, didn't they? What's needed is the opposite - the separation of public from private interests - otherwise, you end up with a big Downfall.

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» Try actually reading his words Posted by: fanny666
I Live in Very Blue State ... I'm voting Green ...
Posted by: mmckinl on Oct 20, 2008 11:57 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Without a real choice we will be in Chomsky's dilemma forever. We need a true progressive party to challenge the Dems from the left.

If you are in a blue state vote Green. It is the only way to get their attention.

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Behold an authentic example
Posted by: weathered on Oct 21, 2008 4:14 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
of cogent, responsible, honorable and esteemable. Noam Chomsky is all those things and more.
Protect and pray for him.

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FOR A NEW LEFT TURN
Posted by: rst2536 on Oct 21, 2008 4:34 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
To vote the lesser of two evils,
So Chomsky says, is doing right.
Because he’s given up upheavals;
Or maybe he’s too old to fight?
He’s all but given up democracy
By giving way to vote plutocracy.
I’d rather vote a party that
Is willing to go to the mat
With capital and take production
And put in the workers’ hands.
He’d say to fire from frying pans.
But Chomsky needs an introduction
On what it means to build a Left
Not based on surplus values' theft.

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Green on the bottom, blue on top
Posted by: PJAW on Oct 21, 2008 6:11 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It's a good strategy to vote green whenever possible, but not at the Presidential level this time.

Do everything possible to keep McCain out of the White House, he will only worsen what is already a bad situation for many people. Push hard for election reform immediately after this election, and make it possible for Greens and other third party candidates to be heard and get elected. There's no way reform will happen with Republicans in control, and it will still be difficult under a Democrat, but until that's done, the highest offices will continue to be dominated by the two major parties, which are too much alike.

Of course you are free to vote for whomever you choose, but in my opinion, voting for anyone other than Obama this time is a bad strategy. I've voted for third party Presidential candidates in the past, and I'm glad that it turned out to not matter. I'd feel terrible if my vote had in any way helped George Bush, and if yours ends up helping McCain win, believe me, you'll hate yourself.

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stormy7
Posted by: STORMY78 on Oct 21, 2008 6:51 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Once again I find myself in the position were I have to vote for the lesser of two evils.
Until Americans have the guts to put a third party into office we will continue to be disappointed in our government.

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» RE: stormy7 Posted by: lewb
world survival
Posted by: hilaryuk on Oct 21, 2008 7:04 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
America may be diminished but it still has the power to reduce the world to chaos. European support for Obama probably doesn't spring from a belief that he is a knight on a white charger; rather from the belief that he is rational.

The same cannot be said for McCain/Palin - the prospect of them winning the election inspires a genuine and deep-seated fear. So, from an outsider's point of view, Chomsky is merely stating the obvious. I do not think that it is overstating the situation to assert that world stability depends on your choices, so for the love of humanity don't let purist scruples get in your way.

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» RE: world survival Posted by: aonghus36
Something is Better than Nothing
Posted by: Purple Girl on Oct 21, 2008 7:56 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Having Lived through the Cluster Fuck of the last 40 yrs, I always vote for 'The Pivot', but have seen it amount to nothing thanks to those 3rd party Zealots.
So thanks For The original 'Tricky Dicky', the Alzheimers patient Ronny, the "Yes Man" HW and the intellectual and emotionally stunted, W.
Self Righteousness and Zealotry are counterproductive regardless of Which direction it comes from.
Case In Point
PETA
There Overzealousness in regards for Animal Rights has caused such adverse reaction, Real animal advocates are shunned before we get a word out!
I am an Animal Advocate and a Meat eater (Kind of how I was designed). I am appauld about how food prodcution animals are handled now by Big Agri Business.So I went on an Ag Blog site to discuss how we can bring the FACT that Real Farmers have always done a far better job at animal husbandry than any 9-5,5 day a Weeker Corp employee could....They blasted Me,Called me a PETA freak. I'm in a blog which provides recipes for Rural Farmers (Peach canning etc) and I am Expounding their virtures, but I am Immmediately pegged a PETA person.
Actually I had a few who spent the time to read my post before jumping to conclusions- and I was 'Thanked' for keeping Real Farmers in Such High Regard.
So for the last 20+ yrs we have seen the effects of industrialized farming and the only thing which has increased is food Borne illness, abuse & neglect and Redistribution of Wealth out of the hands of Real Farmers (they can not compete in the Free market, becasue there IS NONE!).
So Thanks PETA, For Wasting time and progress, so you could get one more Vegatarian at your Rally against the Oscar Meyer Weiner

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The only vote that matters
Posted by: Tim Chadron on Oct 21, 2008 8:25 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
is a vote for the ticket you feel will do the best for this country. To not vote your conscience is a disservice to this country, and indeed, to the world in which we live.

If you feel a third party best represents your values, you should vote for them. Period. Maybe if enough of us had the balls to do so, something WOULD actually change in this country. But as long as we keep voting for the two candidates chosen by the media, and rammed down our throats by any number of controlling forces, we will continue to get more of the same old crap.

Which war, as a progressive, sounds better to you? Iraq or Afghanistan (or even Pakistan)? Personally, I say neither. My vote will be for peace. What are your thoughts on the Patriot act? Which candidate (party) will serve you and this country best in that issue? Here's a hint. It's not the democrats, nor is it the republicans. How about the economy? Which of these two candidates will really do anything, (or even seems to know anything), about what is happening? The writers on this website seem to know far more about our economy than either candidate (one is totally clueless, and both are entirely beholden to those powers that got us into this mess in the first place!)

We could talk about the debt too but why should we. Neither major party has barely mentioned this issue at all, not that it's not the giant freeking elephant in the room or anything.

So, go ahead if you want, and vote for the lesser of two evils if you want. I'll have none of it.

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