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The philosophy, work & influences of Noam Chomsky

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The philosophy, work & influences of Noam Chomsky
Date:
Sun, 1 Aug 1999 22:18:45 -0400
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> Face it now.  The way you describe a social structure is you list the
rules of that structure.  Some of the social structures are: legislature,
courts, police, public health, land rights, other property rights,
education, marriage, paternity, defense, labor unions, to name a few.

My point is still, that those structures are controlled by the community
which it affects.  
Therefore how they operate can not be for me to determine, nor you.

>If you can't even begin to describe it, you don't know what you are talking
about.  You have demonstrated that you don't know what you are talking about.
>If you can't write a specification, you don't know what you are talking about.

That is somewhat correct, how can I speak of freedom if I have never
experienced it?  

> I agree that a working anarchist system would be the best form of
government, and I *can* write a set of rules for one.

(In the spirit of your point) A working dictatorship would be the best form
of democratic institutions.  

> I understand that you don't know what that means in practical terms,
except that (1) everybody gets to vote on something; (2) everybody can
ignore the results of the vote, and (3) nobody can force anybody to do anything.

If you are going to sum up my argument, do it correctly.

> I am quite certain you won't get your wish for an anarchist society,
because you don't even know what it is.

I could move to Chiapas?  But, I’ll miss MuchMusic too much(it’s the
Canadian version of Mtv).

In my weaker moments, I had wanted to leave Canada and move to a place where
they feed the hungry, heal their sick, take care of their poor.

My escape plan would have ended in Norway.  I have heard great things from
that society.  A society whose leaders are not elected on platforms on
“reform” and slashing of social programs, but on platforms promising
increased spending and more security.

But, I realized, that my thought process was one of a coward.  Afraid to
stand up to the minor forces of repression we in first world countries face.
Many have, and continue today, face even larger obstacles.

How can I cower when they have not?


"If it had not been for this, I might have live[d] out my life, talking at
street corners to scoring men. I might have die[d], unmarked, unknown, a
failure. Now we are not a failure. This is our career and our triumph. Never
in our full life can we do such a work for tolerance, for justice for men's
understanding of man, as we now do by an accident, our words--our lives--our
pains--nothing! The taking of our lives--lives of a good shoemaker and poor
fish peddler--all!"  
Bartolomeo Vanzetti's quote at trial after they received their death sentences




--
What we don't know keeps tha contracts alive and movin'
They don't gotta burn tha books, they just remove 'em

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