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15th out of 285 books
—
182 voters
Hopes and Prospects
by
Noam Chomsky
In this urgent new book, Noam Chomsky surveys the dangers and prospects of our early twenty-first century. Exploring challenges such as the growing gap between North and South, American exceptionalism (including under President Barack Obama), the fiascos of Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S.-Israeli assault on Gaza, and the recent financial bailouts, he also sees hope for the...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
June 1st 2010
by Haymarket Books
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Up-to-date on what is happening around the world. Typically prime material on the most influential leftist intellectual on earth. One of the few intellectuals that writes for everyone. He gets more into economics here than usual, something I think is important (readable economics).
I consider this book a primer for anyone to get a glimpse into foreign policy. Written by an American intellectual the book tells it like it is. It is based on articles, essays and lectures Noam prepared over several years. The ambitious track record and enduring expectations of the USA for global dominance is echoed here over and over again. A great read!
Yet another solid offering from Chomsky, which brings you up to the Post 9/11 years. This includes the Obama years, which are often simply a continuation of Bush's policies both in foreign and domestic affairs.
As I have reacquainted myself with Chomsky's work after years, I've been amazed at how truly thoughtful he is. He seems to be the only major commentator on foreign affairs that has the intellectual wherewithal to really research through top-shelf political science, history and foreign aff...more
As I have reacquainted myself with Chomsky's work after years, I've been amazed at how truly thoughtful he is. He seems to be the only major commentator on foreign affairs that has the intellectual wherewithal to really research through top-shelf political science, history and foreign aff...more
"Hopes and Prospects" is a series of lectures given by the brilliant M.I.T linguist Noam Chomsky in a series of lectures given in Chile 2006 and updated to include events as of 2010. A brief summary would be: if the U.S.A was a infant in therapy, we'd say, 'Doesn't play well with others. Claims all of the worthwhile toys for herself while refusing to share. Pathological liar. Hypocritical. Signs of Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Borderline Personality, and Sociopathic tendencies.'
As usual, Chom...more
As usual, Chom...more
Someone recently told me they thought Noam Chomsky was not a credible scholar or source of information and lumped him in with other well known writers and scholars such as Norman Finkelstein and Edward Said. Obviously it's not enough to be a professor at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and writing countless books on foreign policy, world events and issues we as a planet face isn't enough to impress this person in any way. I would never claim something so stupid. However, I...more
This book's main theme is imperialistic US politics.
It discusses various events in which the US has been or are still involved; with plenty of references to additional sources.
It is not however, an in-depth analysis of each of those events - this would make the book go well beyond its 300 pages. Regrettably, it is not a balanced discussion either. Invariably, the US is the evil-doer and other parties are innocent victims or their roles are left undiscussed.
Because of this unbalance, the credibil...more
It discusses various events in which the US has been or are still involved; with plenty of references to additional sources.
It is not however, an in-depth analysis of each of those events - this would make the book go well beyond its 300 pages. Regrettably, it is not a balanced discussion either. Invariably, the US is the evil-doer and other parties are innocent victims or their roles are left undiscussed.
Because of this unbalance, the credibil...more
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Ce livre s'adresse principalement à des lecteurs familiers des théories du socialisme et de l'aarchisme. Il s'agit de deux entrevues avec Noam Chomsky, deux entretiens sous la forme de discussion. Bien que je ne sois pas très familières avec les théories, j'ai apprécié cette lecture rapide et informelle, tout en reconnaissant que j'aurais mieux pu saisir la pensée de l'activiste en ayant une meilleure base historico-théorique. Je ne recommande pas particulièrement ce livre aux débutants, mais il...more
Noam Chomsky's lectures read better than some of the most well-researched papers and books I come across. It's difficult to go through crimes of empire, but there is ample descriptions of resistance to it and success stories (hence the happier title than his usual fare). While the success stories aren't without their own problems, considering conditions, it's basically a miracle that things are that good. This gives a pretty good view of some of the more pivotal moments in South American history...more
Hopes and Prospects is essential reading for anyone who is concerned about the primary challenges still facing the human race.
"This is a classic Chomsky work: a bonfire of myths and lies, sophistries and delusions. Noam Chomsky is an enduring inspiration all over the world—to millions, I suspect—for the simple reason that he is a truth-teller on an epic scale. I salute him." —John Pilger
"In dissecting the rhetoric and logic of American empire and class domination, at home and abroad, Chomsky con...more
"This is a classic Chomsky work: a bonfire of myths and lies, sophistries and delusions. Noam Chomsky is an enduring inspiration all over the world—to millions, I suspect—for the simple reason that he is a truth-teller on an epic scale. I salute him." —John Pilger
"In dissecting the rhetoric and logic of American empire and class domination, at home and abroad, Chomsky con...more
A collection of powerful lectures that exposes the dark heart of American imperialism. These lectures touch on many events from around the globe and they are not an in depth analysis. However, they do reveal a pattern of intimidation and terror. One theme that runs through this book is how U.S. business interests are tied to foreign policy and the ways in which "democracy" is implemented by U.S. hands - frequently instituting the U.S. favourite rather than the democratically elected leader. Furt...more
Good ol' Noamy Chomp-Chomp. This was good. Of course, Chompsky often takes his conclusions further than I am comfortable taking them, but it's still interesting. This book actually is a good starter, I think, for people who want to catch up on the last 30-ish years of American foreign policy from a highly critical and skeptical viewpoint.
My book was a little outdated, I think it was last updated two years ago (and a lot has happened since then) I wonder what the author would think about the wid...more
My book was a little outdated, I think it was last updated two years ago (and a lot has happened since then) I wonder what the author would think about the wid...more
Typical of Chomsky. As always there are some good ideas and some terrible ideas and I still think he's an idealistic jackass who thinks if the United States would just be nicer then all nastiness and mean people in the world would vanish in a puff of smoke. Sorry Noamsky but a country that doesn't look out for it's own interests above those of all other countries is a country that finds itself beaten, trampled, and failing... hmm, oddly that's the exact road we've been going down as we get more...more
Very, very interesting, and despite my dislike for US and UK governments etc, I learn many disturbing things from this book - I have never studied history or politics before and so this is a good beginning to get an insight into pretty up-to-date information as well as some history.
I am used to reading Chomsky's linguistics books, and this book is as articulate as those - each sentence has a meaning and a purpose, as well as references. I will have to read this again to make some notes of some i...more
I am used to reading Chomsky's linguistics books, and this book is as articulate as those - each sentence has a meaning and a purpose, as well as references. I will have to read this again to make some notes of some i...more
يتحدث شومسكي في هذا الكتاب عن السياسات الخارجية للحكومة الأمريكية وكيف أنها أصبحت تشكل خطراً يهددنا كبشر في القرن الواحد والعشرين.
يعرض شومسكي أهم التحديات التي تواجه العالم المعاصر: كاتساع الفجوة بين الشمال والجنوب، والنزعة الاقصائية الأمريكية (بما في ذلك في عهد اوباما) و"المغامرة الإمبريالية" الفاشلة في العراق وأفغانستان، والهجوم الأمريكي-الإسرائيلي على غزة، وملف الإرهاب والتعذيب، وغيرها..
يعرض الكتاب أيضاً بعض الآمال والنماذج المشرقة في العالم والعالم العربي خصوصاً (حتى 2009، أي قبل الربيع العر...more
يعرض شومسكي أهم التحديات التي تواجه العالم المعاصر: كاتساع الفجوة بين الشمال والجنوب، والنزعة الاقصائية الأمريكية (بما في ذلك في عهد اوباما) و"المغامرة الإمبريالية" الفاشلة في العراق وأفغانستان، والهجوم الأمريكي-الإسرائيلي على غزة، وملف الإرهاب والتعذيب، وغيرها..
يعرض الكتاب أيضاً بعض الآمال والنماذج المشرقة في العالم والعالم العربي خصوصاً (حتى 2009، أي قبل الربيع العر...more
The prospects aren't good and the hopes are vanishingly small, but these well-documented lectures and essays bring Chomsky's critique of American foreign policy into 2010 and demonstrate how little the media/government image of the US at work in the world continues to have to do with the reality. I thought the sections on Latin America and on our disgraceful treatment of the Russians after 1989 especially good.
Filled in a lot of blanks of what I already knew, and blew the lid off of so much I didn't... Not a lot of hope or prospect, but at least through knowledge more people will be forced to pay attention and hold one another accountable to be better to ourselves and our society.
It's astonishingly contemporary, insightful, and brutally necessary.
It's astonishingly contemporary, insightful, and brutally necessary.
Interesting book. Paints a brutal picture that the United States are the bad guys. Systematically destroying democracy anywhere the result of elections does not further US imperial policy. Trampling human rights without any sense of conscience. Provides a much different perspective than Fox news.
In a nutshell, the book is a reminder that when the government claims that it's foreign policy is to assure freedom and democracy for all, they are lying. Our government takes interests in foreign affairs only when it benefits their own interests, and they'll see to it that their own interests is satisfied whether that means replacing a dictatorship with a democracy or bringing down a democratic leadership and replacing it with a dictatorship.
A worthy addition to the "Chomsky shelf"! He is always and unfailingly thought provoking and continues to impress the reader with his sense of urgency, even after all these years.
One of the best books I have ever read. It contains a dense collection of knowledge regarding U.S. Foreign Policy. Be ready for a life changing experience.
Enlightening to say the least. It's hard to argue with facts that are backed up with a mountain of sources. A must-read on foreign policy and first world conquest.
Jun 09, 2011
Eric Orchard
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
history
Clear and lucid explanation of what drives contemporary politics and how we arrived here. Compassionate, moral and intelligent.
What can I say about Noam Chomsky that I haven't in previous reviews? He is a research god. This book again focuses on the United States' "democracy building" across the world and the atrocities is has brought to populations and cultures different from ours. He makes it seem so easy to turn politician's arguments for aggression on its head and use the same arguments for other countries to behave the same way. Why should bullying the world be only a U.S. policy and procedure? Who is making the ru...more
Chomsky at his best - informed, intelligent, combative and highly committed to humanism and to democracy.
this one's for the complainers who are not familiar with Chomsky's recommendations on choices for action
Not even sure what to think. I need to read more about US foreign policy before I can really decide. Good read over all, dense writing style.
Ended up being disappointed...
Oct 25, 2010
Dorothy
is currently reading it
I always love a good Chomsky book!
Sep 20, 2012
Marisha
added it
(need to finish reading)
This book was awesome
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Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author, and lecturer. He is an Institute Professor and professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Chomsky is credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar, considered to be one of the most significant contributions to the field of linguistics made in the 20th century. H...more
More about Noam Chomsky...
Chomsky is credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar, considered to be one of the most significant contributions to the field of linguistics made in the 20th century. H...more
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