Chomsky: An Anti-Activist
We need to be very aware that pro-imperialist anti-freedom
forces will often infiltrate a movement and try to dominate the conversation
from within--in a way that destroys the effectiveness of the movement. We contend that Chomsky occupies this
position. His domination as a writer on
the topic of Israeli – Palestinian issues, his personal failure to issue calls
for action, and his criticism of BDS all point to him being a very effective
agent against change and an effective anti-activist in support of the status quo.
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Chomsky, as it turns out, is a self
admitted Zionist. Here is a video you
have got to see, really every minute of it. It is 45 minutes long, so plan
ahead. It exposes a side of Mr. Chomsky you probably won't ever see anywhere
else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_LygPVxY8A
Chomsky
does not support the Palestinian call for Boycotts, Divestments, and
Sanctions. In considering his rejection
of BDS, we must keep in mind that “. . . the liberation of the oppressed is
impossible without their self-activity and empowerment. The BDS movement was
launched by Palestinians themselves . . . " The following article provides a well thought
out and intelligent critique of lets-take-no-action Chomsky: http://socialistworker.org/2014/07/15/chomsky-and-the-bds-struggle
Also of interest: “In the field of US-Israel-Palestine relations
he (Chomsky) has been a virtual human tsunami, washing like a huge wave over
genuine scholarly works in the field that contradict his critical positions on
the Middle East, namely that Israel serves a strategic asset for the US and
that the Israeli lobby, primarily AIPAC, is little more than a pressure group
like any other trying to affect US policy in the Middle East. For both of these
positions, as I will show, he offers only the sketchiest of evidence . . .” http://www.leftcurve.org/LC29WebPages/Chomsky.html
“Mass appeals to Congress to stop
funding, whether it was in opposition to the war in Vietnam or the Contras in
Nicaragua, have been a basic element in every other nation-wide struggle
against US global policy.” From above link
which also notes that Chomsky has never called for any action on behalf of the
Palestinian people.
One of Chomsky’s main complaints
about BDS relates to education, as if the BDS movement, as well as it
supporters (like Boycott for Peace) were not working very hard to educate the
masses. “How BDS Is Educating the Public About Israel's Brutal Policies:” http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/46885/pid/2254
Chomsky is not our hero. While he is often very eloquent at describing
certain aspects of Israel’s violence and oppression of Palestinians, a true
hero, a true activist takes action and calls for the masses to take action as
well.
Anti-activists are exceedingly common. They infiltrate nearly every movement and organization, as well as nearly every on-line group, forum, and news outlet that allows comments. They work to neutralize our efforts by attempting to dominate the conversation and attempting to steer us away from action. If a seemingly passionate, vociferous person seems to be dominating the conversations without ever positively supporting, participating, or calling for action has infiltrated your movement, be aware. They may be in the pay of, or in support of, exactly what we are trying to resist.
Anti-activists are exceedingly common. They infiltrate nearly every movement and organization, as well as nearly every on-line group, forum, and news outlet that allows comments. They work to neutralize our efforts by attempting to dominate the conversation and attempting to steer us away from action. If a seemingly passionate, vociferous person seems to be dominating the conversations without ever positively supporting, participating, or calling for action has infiltrated your movement, be aware. They may be in the pay of, or in support of, exactly what we are trying to resist.
Meanwhile, if we believe in Peace, Equality,
Freedom, and Democracy, we must not support the corporations and businesses
that profit from or support ethnic cleansing, home demolition, war, or
apartheid. We must use spending money to
vote for the kind of world we want to live in, while we deprive those businesses,
institutions, and governments we find reprehensible of our support.
Boycott for Peace!
~~~
Check out our complete boycott list
here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2014/12/boycott-list.html
Check out our complete boycott list here:
http://boycott4peace.blogspot.com/2014/12/boycott-list.html
And our calls to action here:
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Image courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons:
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Boycott for Peace
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See this for a critique of Chomsky on BDS
ReplyDeleteNoam Chomsky and BDS: the ‘responsibility of intellectuals?'
http://questionofpalestine.net/2013/01/31/noam-chomsky-and-bds-the-responsibility-of-intellectuals/
Thank you so much for your comment, HFC. Here is a quote from the link HFC shared above, for the benefit of all readers: "Chomsky told a Harvard audience: 'I am opposed and have been opposed for many years, in fact, I’ve probably been the leading opponent for years of the campaign for divestment from Israel and of the campaign about academic boycotts.'" To access the link, highlight the URL and then right click.
ReplyDelete