I know from experience that it is virtually inevitable for readers to ask a writer who advocates social justice (and writes in dissent against their government) what people can do to evoke change. Professor Chomsky addresses this issue at several points throughout the book. His resounding theme is perseverance. He urges activists to participate in protests, join groups or movements pushing for social change, educate themselves and others, and employ the Constitutional rights available to them before the Bush regime revokes them. The power of the ruling elite lies in its ability to induce apathy in the population with television and consumerism, to manipulate the under-educated through propaganda, and to divide and conquer with hot-button issues like abortion.
Chomsky states, "The genius of American politics has been to marginalize and isolate people." His suggestion is to take our cue from movements like the Abolitionists. His message is that by working together for the causes of peace and social justice, while persisting in the face of incremental progress and powerful obstacles, we can achieve our goals.
I highly recommend Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post 9/11 World. For those who have not read Chomsky, this book would make an excellent primer. It is much lighter reading than some of his others, and it captures his thoughts on a diverse range of issues. I recommend that you initiate your studies of Chomsky's unique viewpoint by starting with this book. If you have read Chomsky, and you are like me, you can scarcely get enough of his discerning commentary. If that is the case, do not deprive yourself of Imperial Ambitions. This is Chomsky at his finest.Next Page 1 | 2 | 3
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Jason Miller, Senior Editor and Founder of TPC, is a tenacious forty something vegan straight edge activist who lives in Kansas and who has a boundless passion for animal liberation and anti-capitalism. Addicted to reading and learning, he is mostly (
more...)
