In this lecture at Harvard University in early 2002, linguist and longtime activist Noam Chomsky offers his radical critique on America's response to terrorism since 9/11. Mincing no words, Chomsky calls America hypocritical when it comes to terrorism, referring to the '80s as the decade of state-sponsored terrorism (with America and Israel the chief offenders), describing America's foreign policy actions during the Reagan era as a series of calculated acts of violence directed at Arab nations and Central America. Furthermore, Chomsky ridicules the notion that terrorism is a tool of the weak, not the strong, and charges that a corporate-controlled media has turned a blind eye to the government's role in defining the conflict and chilling the atmosphere of free speech for any would-be dissenters (while also championing the Internet's role in making dissenting views widely available). After the lecture, there is a Q&A session, and the DVD offers viewers the option to select any or all of the questions for Chomsky to answer. Chomsky's views are passionately held and articulate, but his political theories lack the rigor and logic he demands of the world of linguistics. Sometimes longwinded, one-sided, or inconclusive, Chomsky's remarks are also occasionally thought-provoking, and his appeal is enormous on the campus lecture circuit at this moment. Considering the DVD's incredibly low price ($7.98), this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
Distorted Morality: America's War on Terrorism
(2002) 115 min. DVD: $7.98. Epitaph (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 18, Issue 4
Distorted Morality: America's War on Terrorism
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