From: "Thomas P. Murray" <tommym1-AT-ix23.ix.netcom.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 17:58:04 +0000
Subject: M-I: (Fwd) Chomsky on stuff


      I thought this might be of interest to the list.


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>From stec-AT-freenet.calgary.ab.ca Tue Jan 28 14:06:19 1997 
From: Michael Stec <stec-AT-freenet.calgary.ab.ca> 

The following are some excerpts from a letter I received from Noam 
Chomsky dated
January 13, 1997

The CIA had no interest in bringing drugs to the ghetto, in my opinion.  
That's just a (regular and predictable) consequence of its operations as 
as an agency of the White House, responsible for actions that have 
"plausible deniability." One shouldn't really speak of the CIA, in this 
connection.  As far as the (rather rich) documentary record shows, it 
doesn't act on its own for the most part.

On Marxism, I can't give a brief comment.  The reason is I don't accept 
the premises of the question.  If I were asked "what aspects of 
Newtonianism" I agreed with I wouldn't answer either.  The very concept 
of Marxism belongs to the domain of organized religion, in my opinion.  
Marx had interesting things to say, which one should read and evaluate.  
He wasn't a God, and one shouldn't worship at the shrine. 

On the ruling ideas being those of the dominant class in any society, 
sure, that's true, and a virtual truism in fact, at least as a rather 
good approximation.  Marx understood it, as did many others before and since.

Internet?  It's much like technology generally, in my opinion.  Mostly 
neutral: one can use it to oppress or to liberate, the technology doesn't 
care.  The question is who controls it.  In this respect, the internet is 
essentially like print, radio, TV, etc.  Right now the whole system, for 
which the general public paid the costs, is being transferred to 
unaccountable private power, in one of the greatest giveaways in history, 
and virtually without media attention (big surprise!).  There's good work 
on this by Bob McChesney, particularly, some coming out in an Open 
Magazine pamphlet.  What can people do ? The usual. And if it isn't done 
fast, and on a substantial scale, the robbery will have been consummated, 
with grim consequences.

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Bye,

Mark Dickson, Ph.D., UWS, liam78-AT-vcn.bc.ca
Member of Vancouver Cooperative Radio, CFRO - 102.7 FM


                Thomas P.Murray
             tommym1-AT-ix.netcom.com


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