[kj] CRASS commercialism!

[Bette Dillinger]

   What do you mean "the concept Chomsky is a church mouse?" Who said that?
 
    You did not leave in my adjective of modest, thus you have distorted my position.
 
I was talking about the fact that many do not look at his financial assets, possibly out of fear of 
 
learning something new about his relations with other groups.  Of course I am not out 
 
to insult Mr Chomsky, since most of his opinions are very valid......and I would be the first to say 
 
let's investigate the corruption of our current "leaders" in America first and foremost.  I simply was 
 
expressing conflictual sentiments about the man.  On the one 
 
hand I want to cheer him on, on the other I think something is rotten in the state of
 
 Denmark....(at least for me, and only me, it is obvious you feel differently, hazzah!)  However you 
 
are making my case for me:
"He takes almost every fucking speaking engagement he can get. His  schedule is busy 24/7 giving talks, interviews, etc. Of course he is  trying to communicate with people and get the message out; hence the  writing of letters to people, which is part of this. He is extremely  generos with his time and is constantly speaking at universities and  when they will let him, on te American airwaves, which is rare. No one  ever said he was a church mouse. He isn't one, thank god."
 
Little litmus test:  ask anyone you think has one brain cell in America to name a left wing Professor 
 
who is currently active.  I would bet ya it would be Mr Chomsky or Howard Zinn.  This doesn't 
 
come from "answering letters and being generous with time", it comes from mass exposure.  He has 
 
been on most major news programs in America so I do not understand where this underground 
 
status is that you seem to be attributing to him.  I have met many idealistic academics who 
 
wanted to do just this.....yet they were never profiled by major news outlets or given mass 
 
exposure.  I think those that rabidly defend Chomsky are too afraid to look behind the curtain and 
 
see the real visage of the Wizard.  
 
   Also surely, you are not arguing that Noam Chomsky is the only relevant critic of the system 
 
entitled to this kind of mass appeal?  There aren't any other younger academicians that have 
 
similar ideas?  Of course there are, I have met them.  Connect the dots..... Why wouldn't Noam try 
 
to find a successor at 80?  Do you find it unique that he was a Prof at MIT, a bastion of 
 
convervatism compared to say, UC Berkley and no one complained, in fact he thrived?  I had a 
 
professor who was suspended for making remarks about class in America.  I have seen it happen 
 
with my own eyes.  This professor wasn't a modest church mouse either, but his plight was never 
 
covered, as thousands across the country are not.  But Noam seems to be different.......
 
 
I am glad you are happy you feel he is not a church mouse;  I thank God I have no pristine 
 
household saints.  I say this with respect towards you and am just offering my views on one 
 
person.  I am in no way trying to portray him as Grandpa Satan ;).  
 
My two cents,
-Bette
 
  
 
 
 

> Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2008 19:27:15 -0500> From: bigblackhair at sbcglobal.net> To: gathering at misera.net> Subject: Re: [kj] CRASS commercialism!> > What do you mean "the concept Chomsky is a church mouse?" Who said that?> > He takes almost every fucking speaking engagement he can get. His > schedule is busy 24/7 giving talks, interviews, etc. Of course he is > trying to communicate with people and get the message out; hence the > writing of letters to people, which is part of this. He is extremely > generos with his time and is constantly speaking at universities and > when they will let him, on te American airwaves, which is rare. No one > ever said he was a church mouse. He isn't one, thank god.> > -Oliver> > > > Bette Dillinger wrote:> > > > BTW, I am very much in agreement with Noam Chomsky about many, if > > not most concepts, except the one that he is a modest church mouse who > > never desired the spotlight. Thus, I am not the tedious "hater"; I > > would be delighted to see him speak. However, I do take exception to > > his portrayal as an elderly Che Guevara. He would not be interviewed > > by "60 Minutes" if he was not mainstream.....you have to have > > distractions in order to make your system of government work......and > > he is a hell of an eloquent spokesman/distraction.> > > >> > _______________________________________________> Gathering mailing list> Gathering at misera.net> http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering

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