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Blogs

State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Noam Chomsky at Dec 06, 2004


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Of course, the sentiment will seem outlandish to those who take it for granted that we are entirely justified in grinding people under our jackboot, using violence to impose conditions in which the resources of a country are freely open to exploitation by the rich and powerful and their population suffers in endless and unbearable misery, with a huge human cost, far beyond even wars.... The country was conquered by a US invasion a century ago under the pretext of liberating it from Spain, in fact to turn it into a US colony.  It was a bloody massacre complete with torture and every imaginable barbaric crime, one of the most vicious wars of the colonial era, leaving 100s of thousands of corpses.  They've been under direct or indirect US control since, and are still the basket case of Asia; and now in the press again because of the huge toll of the latest storm, just like Haiti a few months ago, or Nicaragua a few years before.  Haiti holds the prize for US intervention through the 20th century and also the prize for poorest country in the hemisphere.  In Haiti a few months ago, a tropical storm killed thousands of people, while the eye of the terrible hurricane of which the fringe hit Haiti passed right over Havana, with very few casualties and quick reconstruction.  Nicaragua holds second prize for US intervention in the 20th century, and is the second poorest country in the hemisphere.  Hurricane Mitch killed huge numbers of people trying to survive on a nearly barren volcano, while the wealthy agribusiness plantation a few miles away benefited from the rainfall and had a bumper crop.  And the country was practically devastated, by what the outstanding economic team of the Jesuit journal correctly called "a neoliberal disaster."  These storms slaughter enormous numbers of very poor people because they live so close to the edge of survival at best, and are driven to cut down forests and to move to marginal land to try to survive, hence subject to terrible catastrophes that would be a mere nuisance where there is some minimal development and a functioning society.  And all of this is, of course, a mere footnote to the general misery we have played a major role in imposing and maintaining.  Something for us to be very proud of. So can we lament piously when they resort to criminal acts to try to free themselves from the horrendous conditions we impose on them?  Some doubtless think so, like Nazi and Stalinist apologists wringing their hands over the terror of the Partisans and the Hungarian resistance.
Person

Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By K, Mr at Jan 03, 2005 07:02 AM

lets talk about hungarian revolution. in 56 my father escaped that hell. a son of a revolutionary only suppression of democratic virtues destabilizes my inner calling for true progressive change. i know very little of that time period my father speaks less. hungarians i assume revolted because of regressive oppression against fundamental freedoms of expression i duno?? video footage is weak at best as no documentary exists as i know of yet. one production company started it but i dunno. counter-revolution is easily achieved by state intervention i dunno how capitalism is going to change when they hold all the cards. elites have the people at will. the integration of society and the length of the type of society prevents innovative change from occuring. hey who's paying the bills while the revolution starts i don't want to get evicted. tweaking the system maybe better than creating a new one.

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Tolsen1, R4d20 at Dec 23, 2004 03:40 AM

Sigma, Of course Noams blog is going to attract bashers, but not everyone who finds faults in some of Noams arguments is a "right wing" stooge.

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Tolsen1, R4d20 at Dec 23, 2004 03:35 AM

Unfortunatly a lot of people were SO DESPERATE to find a viable, successful, non-capitalist government that they were willing to overlook the nastyness of these regimes until the evidence was simply overwhelming. Then, feeling betrayed by the people whom they supported, they turned on them and acted like they were never really their supporters anyway. Idealists - 0 Cynics - 1 Billion and counting.

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Tolsen1, R4d20 at Dec 23, 2004 03:29 AM

http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/articles/7706-distortions.html It is Noam CLEARLY pooh-poohing reports of the Cambodian genocide. He throws in the obligatory "but, of course, I can't KNOW that all the reports of genocide are lies" kind of white-wash, but the entire article clearly conveys the message that Noam thought the reports of Pol Pots Atrocities were all bullcrap and that he didn't buy anyone of it (until it was proven - and THEN he spoke out against it).

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Apocalypse, Unfolding at Dec 15, 2004 23:53 PM

Thanks for replying Smith. Hmm, so how do you approach Christians when attempting to focus their attention on political and economic issues? I have a quite a few friends I try and talk to, but they are always uninterested and tend to brush off anything I say with an "of course our government is corrupt ... nothing we can do about it" attitude. Which is puzzling, because on the one hand they are morally upstanding Christians, and on the other hand one of them even believes "that the world may soon end from nuclear disaster." Maybe my friends are just different from most US citizens, but I think I've blabbed endlessly about government and corporate disdain for the public - citing numerous present day and historical examples and how they affect their lives - yet they still live and act like they were politically ignorant. And I think they're annoyed I talk about politics too much ... Any ideas? Trained Beast

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Apocalypse, Unfolding at Dec 15, 2004 08:37 AM

Yakov Bok, Can you explain why you believe Chomsky was an apologist for the Khmer Rouge? While I can't recall the quote, I do remember him denouncing the Khmer for Cambodian atrocities while claiming that our mainstream media covered this but covered up East Timor. That seems anti-apologetic, by my standards. Just curious what resources you might be using to draw those assesments, as I've only recently discovered there's a flood of ultra-right wing, ultra-hard line websites and blogs that totally distort Chomsky's views. The blog "Leftism is Elitism" is a scary example. Any of you guys read that one?

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Apocalypse, Unfolding at Dec 15, 2004 08:27 AM

Smith777, its refreshing to see active participation of the sort you are engaged in within this comments section. I agree with you assessment that life as we know it - pre-nuclear disaster Earth - may soon cease. I was curious of something though, what do you do to fight the establishment's onslaught? I was interested because I was hoping to build my knowledge of movement building and thought exposing my ideas to commentary and analysis would be a critical step in that process. One idea I've pondered is this: a campaign to herd Christians into the Left by distributing pamphlets or flyers designed to educate them. On this, we could include various shocking facts about our government or corporations (Enron specifics, military research and spending specifics, tax allocation specifics, war crime figures etc.) If we wanted, we could even slant the rhetoric from our flyers towards the religious minded - mentions of morality and courage come to mind. But, this is the first time I am exposing this idea to anyone experienced in the activist field. So what do ya'll think? an extremely concerned progressive

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By Bok, Yakov at Dec 15, 2004 05:01 AM

Nazi and Stalinist apologists? Didn't brother Noam act as an apologist for the Khmer Rouge?

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Directing, Canadian at Dec 10, 2004 20:39 PM

It's a sad state of affairs when such a tremendous country only breathes hate into the human race. Never before in American history have the words of Benjamin Franklin been so correct when he stated: "people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both".

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Darjant, Darjan at Dec 10, 2004 00:30 AM

First of all let me thank you for your response even though my post was barely an impression. BUT i will make an exception for you intellectually exhausted begging for enlightenment. Ofkors this is a joke. Now let us get to the point. My attempt to make a certain point or should i say all my writings on the internet, put me in the shoes that you already are wearing. It is not you, my darling 5 footer, it is not the people. It is the biological system and its own internal rules which makes the for-seeing-one see s***. And again as Romans once said: "Bread and games." Cultural differences are sometimes just too much of a burden for a commoner. But then again we do in fact have things in common. And knowing what that certain common things are, makes me cry like a bitc*. Not really, but you got the point now i hope. Regards, Darjan. :snake:

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Darjant, Darjan at Dec 08, 2004 17:47 PM

Interestingly how people living on the teritories belonging to the US can not look themselves in the mirror. Tarkovsky emerged beautifuly in 1972 with a "12 feet creatures" in his expression called Solyaris. Our eagerness for experiments has become our greatest weekness. I personally can not help myself not to just watch things unwrap in front of my eyes. Watching your Fuhrer, his soldiers and all the Hitler Junge (some of them already in their autumn of being) on CNN invokes feelings similar to ones watching animals in the ZOO. "12 feet creatures" as he put it much before my time. Regards, Darjan. PostScriptum It is just an impression that got me, reading, not only Noam but comments under that article too.

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Re: State Terror v.s. Resistance

By Organum, Baby at Dec 07, 2004 18:55 PM

Mr C I believe its neccesary to include forgiveness in the recognition of aforesaid attrocities. A matter of economival responsibilities and possible paybacks y know ;-( Wont take it ! However: Lets get an end to the cold war :-) Its my suggestion for a verbal "grip" forwards. Many can agree to end the cold war. Not many gainst that NO siree ;-)

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