Noam Chomsky on the Harper's Letter and Cancel Culture

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.”
― Noam Chomsky

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.”
― Noam Chomsky

[johnlannis]

Great video. Chomsky speaks with such clarity and depth at such an old age, a true intellectual.

[razerone]

It’s so sad that when this great man passes on (hopefully in another 50 years) we’ll lose the greatest mind of our generations.

[charlesbourgoigne]

What I find amazing is that his position is considered crazy left in the mainstream media.
Who is the crazy one here?!

[jontraz]

Chomsky is if humanitarian common sense was a person

[boutchie]

Allowing right wingers to have their say gives comedians great material to work from.

[BobardeZanzibar]

This is about where I stand. I just wish they would talk about how individuals within society have no power to speak against those who actually control whether they get to eat. How people have to be silent about the abuses of their workplace. How people are platformed only if those with influence like what they say. I think that's a part of the free speech debate that isn't brought up enough.

[markmacdonald]

In a free society, the right way to defeat bad ideas is to present people with good ones.

[Dutchgo]

I completely agree with him on these principles. 👍

[stonedzebra]

The harpers letter was purposefully vague. it was written in a way that almost nobody could disagree with it. I am convinced that most people who criticized it didn't even read it.

[dmtjnani]

One of this Dream’s greatest creation. Thankfully, the child-Consciousness never ages; what is birth less is deathless. A true guru, indeed. My friend and intellectual mentor . Nirguna

[chrisburrows]

I had a dream once where those that have criticized NC in print, after reading someone's opinion about a sound byte from him taken out of context, had to debate him in person. It was hilarious

[livegroove]

The RW and older people in general love to go after college kids. Yes, they're still kids and young kids have a low tolerance of injustice; they haven't had the time to be conditioned to it yet. There are actual studies on this and the RW knows how to exploit them.Because of their natural intolerance of injustice, young people are very vocal and active about social justice and unfortunately it plays right into the hands of RW talking points. My point to adults complaining about college kids is: They're young, they're supposed to be stupid, what's your excuse

[garybaker]

The most lucid, informed, intelligent person i have ever spoken to was 94 years old. Noam Chomsky has been all of that and more to me since the early1980s. I have learned more from this man than any 10 others i could name.
Thank you Dr. Chomsky.

[Holobrine]

I’m not sure he has considered how this dynamic plays out on social media. In a way, everyone is invited by default, but anyone can individually disinvite you by blocking you. There aren’t separate meetings; it’s like one big perpetual meeting. The distinction between “breaking up the meeting” and not inviting them in the first place breaks down.

[richardwagner]

I completely agree with his point. Free speech is for everyone and of their are fears of platforming then Chomsky tells you the proper way to combat it not preventing talks.

[prschuster]

Don't try to play Chomsky. He's too sharp to fall for Jacobin tactics.

[writersblock]

I’m no fan of Cenk or “The Young Turks, ” but I’d sit through almost anything to hear more Chomsky.

[tirusew]

You nailed it Noam. Let them say what they say and counter it. People who believe in outrageous things would believe in outrageous things. That is from the left and right mostly from the right.