Big Think Interview With Noam Chomsky | Big Think

TL;DR

American democracy is flawed, with a lack of true participation, influence from corporate interests, and a disconnect between public policy and public attitudes.

Transcript

I'm nom chsky I'm a retired professor at uh MIT Department of linguistics and philosophy I guess the most commendable thing he's done is uh not decide you know toam Iran or something I can think of things he hasn't done and it's commend that he hasn't done them but uh you can point to very little that at least by my standards is commendable I mean ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙈 Obama's presidency saw retraction of extreme Bush policies, representing a step towards the center and international mainstream.
• 🇺🇸 The United States has a democratic deficit, with candidates being vetted by corporate interests and limited choice for the public.
• 🥺 The dismantling of the productive core of the American economy, such as the automobile industry, has led to adverse consequences in certain regions.
• 🇺🇸 Language diversity in the United States is superficial, with a fundamental similarity across all languages.
• 💦 Decisions regarding activism, intellectual work, and family obligations pose ethical dilemmas and require careful consideration.
• 💦 The distribution of work and energy is a constant challenge, with fundamental decisions arising on how to prioritize and allocate resources.
• 🏈 The flaws in American democracy highlight the need for improved representation and true participation.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are some commendable actions that Obama has taken during his presidency?

Obama's retraction of extreme policies imposed by the Bush Administration, such as conditions on Cuba and movement towards reducing nuclear weapons, can be seen as commendable steps towards the international mainstream and American public opinion.

Q: How does the democratic system in the United States compare to other industrial democracies?

The United States is viewed as having a significant democratic deficit, with the public feeling a sense of helplessness and impotence. The population believes the government works for a few big interests, primarily corporate interests, leading to a sharp division between public policy and public attitudes.

Q: Why has there been a shift of power towards finance and Wall Street in the United States?

The dismantling of the productive core of the American economy, such as the automobile industry, is seen as part of a larger shift towards financialization. This shift of power to finance has caused a disaster in certain regions, while the government seeks external assistance for crucial initiatives like high-speed rail transport.

Q: How does the United States compare to other countries in terms of the variety of languages spoken?

The apparent diversity of languages in the United States is viewed as superficial, with a fundamental similarity underlying all of them. The emergence of language and the reasons for its proliferation are still being explored, but it is clear that there is something fundamentally the same about humans and their cognitive capacities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The current analysis highlights the shortcomings of the Bush Administration and the steps taken by Obama to retract extreme policies, particularly in relation to Cuba and nuclear issues.

• There is criticism of Obama for reinstituting practices such as preventive detention and not granting normal criminal trials. The interpretation of the legal system is viewed as an extreme deviation from reasonable standards.

• The democratic system in the United States is critiqued for being a guided democracy, where candidates are vetted by corporate interests and elections are largely bought. There is a significant democratic deficit and a lack of choice for the public in electing candidates who truly represent their interests.