Share your emails with Chomsky here

[u/-_-_-_-otalp-_-_-_-]

Have you ever sent e-mails to Chomsky? If you have, you can share it in this thread for the rest of us, but only if you have his permission. Don't post the transcript if you don't, because he doesn't approve of it.

If you don't have permission, you can post your question to him and the gist of his reply, along with any books or articles he might have recommended.

The previous question thread can be found here and here. Please search there before asking him any questions directly.

[u/Honest_trifles]

Me:

Why did you slag this quote by Schlesinger:

If the american govt does succeed we will all be praising the wisdom and statesmanship of the american govt in reducing Vietnam to a land of ruin and wreck.

Seems like something you would say.

https://youtu.be/FSKVPDpgbJI?t=24m29s

Noam:

Because that was the opinion he shared

Me:

What i mean is that yr always talking about how the intellectual class keeps flattering and giving excuses for govt actions so his opinion is consistent with yours.

In that video you go on to say that he was considered a critic of war and the considered critics always have this position.

"looks like we can reduce the land to ruin and wreck and massacre enough people so that we will win so therefore we should all be praising that wisdom and statesmanship of the govt"

But Schlesinger never said "should" which means that your proposition remains unproven. The proposition was that there is a very narrow spectrum of debate about the war.

Me:

https://youtu.be/FSKVPDpgbJI?t=23m29s

I gave the wrong timestamp on the video. This is the correct timestamp. ^

Noam:

It is transparent in the context that he approves of this view. That's why he begins by saying that we all pray the Mr. Alsop will be right, and that the US will win the war.

There isn't the slightest ambiguity.