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Chomsky: Assaulting Solidarity -- Privatizing Education
May 12, 2000
There has been a general assault in the last 25 years on solidarity, democracy, social welfare, anything that interferes with private power, and there are many targets. One of the targets is undoubtedly the educational system. In fact, a couple of years a
Chomsky: Colombia – Part Two of Two
Apr 25, 2000
The sharp increase in arms shipped to Colombia is officially justified in terms of the "drug war," a claim taken seriously by few competent analysts, even apart from the instructive historical pattern, barely sampled here. As many have observed, the military themselves are heavily involved in narcotrafficking, and their paramilitary associates -- who openly proclaim their reliance on narcotrafficking -- are not the targets of the planned operations.
Chomsky: Colombia Ð Part Two of Two
Apr 25, 2000
The sharp increase in arms shipped to Colombia is officially justified in terms of the "drug war," a claim taken seriously by few competent analysts, even apart from the instructive historical pattern, barely sampled here. As many have observed, the milit
Chomsky: Colombia – Part One of Two
Apr 24, 2000
In 1999, Colombia became the leading recipient of US military and police assistance, replacing Turkey (Israel and Egypt are in a separate category). The figure is scheduled to increase sharply for the next two years. Through the 1990s, Colombia has been the leading recipient of US military aid in Latin America, and has also compiled the worst human rights record, in accord with a well-established correlation.
Chomsky: Colombia Ð Part One of Two
Apr 24, 2000
In 1999, Colombia became the leading recipient of US military and police assistance, replacing Turkey (Israel and Egypt are in a separate category). The figure is scheduled to increase sharply for the next two years. Through the 1990s, Colombia has been t
Cagan: The War Is Over...The Struggle Continues
Mar 31, 2000
Hard to believe it, but April 30th will be the 25th anniversary of the end of the war in Vietnam!!
Carter: The Grammies: Follow the Money
Mar 03, 2000
Every year when the National Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences celebrates its Grammy Awards, I gag at the notion that any of this music industry pomp and propaganda honors the best music of the past year. Although all of the big time entertainment aw
Cunningham: SELF-DECEPTION MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY
Feb 29, 2000
"The Chinese people must speak up to protest the Japanese government for refusing to acknowledge the historical misdeed of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre." These are the words of an unknown hacker who added a new twist to the seven decade old Sino-Japan argument about a brutal war and the remembrance of that war.
Cagan: Life After Y2K
Jan 27, 2000
The nineties opened with a bang. In August, 1990 the Iraqis invaded Kuwait and it was immediately clear that George Bush would do everything in his formidable presidential power to go to war.
Chomsky: Four from the Forums
Jan 19, 2000
On graduate unions, it's true enough that (ideally) "graduate teaching is pedagogical training," but that's incomplete. Any teaching, if done at all seriously, is also a way of learning -- about lots of things, including the subject you are teaching.
Chomsky: Millennial Visions and Selective Vision Part Two
Jan 13, 2000
In fairness, it should be mentioned that the chorus of self-adulation that closed the millennium was disrupted by some discordant notes. Questions were raised about the consistency of our adherence to the guiding principles: the "new doctrine" that "unive
Chomsky: Millennial Visions and Selective Vision Part One
Jan 10, 2000
The new year opened with familiar refrains, amplified by the numerology: a chorus of self-adulation, somber ruminations about the incomprehensible evil of our enemies, and the usual recourse to selective amnesia to smooth the way. A few illustrations foll
Cagan: Some Thoughts on Hate Crimes
Nov 16, 1999
The brutal murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming a little more than a year ago focused national attention on a long-standing reality for many lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people: the widespread fear and hatred of people outside the so-calle
Chomsky: East Timor Is Not Yesterday's Story
Oct 23, 1999
According to recent reports, the UN mission in East Timor has been able to account for just over 150,000 people out of an estimated population of 850,000. It reports that 260,000 "are now languishing in squalid refugee camps in West Timor under the eff
Cagan: Two, Three, Many Protests...But All On the Same Night?
Oct 17, 1999
George W. and his new friends in the leadership of the New York State Republican Party gathered at a fund raising dinner in mid-town Manhattan October 5th. They were all there: George W. Bush, George Pataki, Rudolf Giuliani, Al D'Amato and the rest of the
Chomsky: East Timor
Oct 04, 1999
The events of the past weeks in East Timor should elicit shame as well as horror. The crimes could easily have been stopped.
Cagan: Thinking About Turkey
Aug 25, 1999
I sit and watch in horror as the toll continues to rise from the earthquake in Turkey. Today they say over 12,000 dead and with 35 - 40,000 people still missing it's clear this number will grow in the coming days. The Turkish government has already ordere
Chomsky: Question on Kibbutzim
Aug 24, 1999
The origins were in part European libertarian socialist thought. In part they were in a kind of romantic "back to the land" movement, suffused sometimes with Tolstoyan anarchism, in other cases part of a (very conscious) effort to reverse the "inverted py
Cagan: Some Concerns About the Internet as an Organizing Vehicle
Jul 21, 1999
For reasons I don't totally understand, I was somewhat late in getting on line. About five years ago the small organization I coordinated - the Cuba Information Project - went on line, but usually the other staff person handled the email communications.
May 30, 2000
At a recent talk Chomsky was asked ÒWhat are the motivations of the U.S. push for sustainable development in the developing world?Ó Here was his answerÉ