From: Scribe1865-AT-aol.com
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2002 17:23:22 EDT
Subject: Re: standard diatribes of kevin



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In a message dated 7-20-2002 3:35:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
heliogabalus-AT-eudoramail.com writes:


> chomsky is a genius

I used to think so too, and grabbed for all his books, especially 
"Manufacturing Consent," which still strikes me as a classic of sorts, tried 
to attend as many of his lectures as possible, and particularly remember a 
lecture that exposed "The Crisis of Democracy," a dubious book on the 
governability of democracy.

Over time, I have tired of his gadfly routine, since he offers no 
alternatives. His ideas are basically anarcho-socialist stuff from the 
American 1930s (his heritage) and his tendency is to know what he thinks 
before he sees any evidence, then to amass evidence.

He's like a neighbor who stops by to watch you repair your house. He won't 
help. But he will criticize. "That kind of board won't fit. That color is 
wrong. You don't hold a hammer like that. Siding would be better than 
shingles. You should ask everyone in town if they want you to install rain 
gutters." And on and on. 

Nay-sayers have their function and value, but it becomes particularly 
annoying in wartime, especially when facing an enemy willing to use nuclear 
weapons anonymously. 

Eric
NYC

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