Issodos, I think that we'll have to agree to disagree.  I do think, however, that
you have wilfully misread many aspects of my message for reasons you can best
answer.

"Issodhos @aol.com" wrote:

> In a message dated 2/28/00 10:55:04 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > Permit me to jump in, Issodos.  Chomsky encourages people to read media
> > critically
> >  and not to swallow swill.
>
>     This has been going on at least since Socrates and is a habit normally
> developed by many without need for a celebrity.
>
> >  He has influenced me and many others that I know.
> >  I
> >  constantly run into university students who have been influenced by him.
> > They
> >  organize and/or collaborate in protests such as at WTO in Seattle or APEC
> in
> >  Vancouver (to cite some recent examples),
>
>     Meaningless.
>
>  as well as boycotting sweatshops
> > such as
> >  Nike or killers like Nestle (baby formula), the American complicity in the
> >  genocide of Mayans in Guatemala, the School of the Americas and so much
> more.
>
>     Nike is the number one shoe company and controls almost 50% of the
> American market, Nestle continues to be a powerhouse in its field, Guatemala
> continues to be Guatemala, and the School of the Americas continued to
> function.
>
> >   I
> >  think that Chomsky's influence (and that of people like him) has been
> >  extraordinary.  Examples are contributing to the ending of the Indochinese
> > war and
> >  the demise of Nixon's presidency,
>
>     Neither Chomsky nor protesters had anything to do with the decision to
> leave the Indochinese war, and Nixon's presidency ended because he made
> enemies in high places -- not because of academic intellectual activity.
> Such activity actually strengthened him.
>
>  mobilizing boycotts of companies such as
> > Nike or
> >  Nestle, and deflecting/minimizing  current murderous embargos and target
> > practice
> >  or sales demos for  new military toys, and so forth.
>
>     Nike and Nestles continue to be economic power houses in their
> industries, embargos continue, and military weapons sales continue unabated.
>
>   Certainly, many are
> >  unconcerned with social justice and are uninfluenced by Chomsky, while
> > others will
> >  have honest disagreements about what constitutes social justice.  But I do
> > know
> >  many, myself included, who have been influenced by him and who have
> > participated
> >  and  continue to participate in boycotts and coalition building to oppose
> > social
> >  injustice.  We haven't always been successful, let alone completely
> > successful,.
> >  and we won't be in the future.
>
>     Neither your activities nor the activities of other like minded
> individuals has resulted in fundamental change.
>
>   However, I think that it is a severe
> > misreading of
> >  recent and current history  to conclude that he has had no influence in
> >  contributing to altering the trajectory of events.
>
>     When he writes it is to the choir, and I do not know what a "trajectory
> of events" is.
>
> >  Can I prove that?  No,
>
>    This is accurate.
>
> > I  can
> >  only say that he has influenced me to change my behaviours and that I, in
> > turn,
> >  have influenced others to do the same -- and I think that we have been
> > effective
> >  in creating change.
>
>    Personal change is often valued, but that does not necessarily transcend
> into social change.
>
>   BTW check out Nike's relative stock price and sales
> > figures
> >  for the last few years as an example.   Dan
>
>    Sales up 8.5%.  How many splits has the stock had over the last few years?
> Yours,
> Issodhos