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{Update} Original title: Al-Jazeera Interview of Activist Noam Chomsky
Review: Al Jazeera interviews linguist and activist Noam Chomsky
(Digital Journal) – Chomsky is no champion of Obama, far from it. He describes Obama as a person without a “moral centre”. Chomsky says:
“If you look at his policies I think that’s what they reveal. I mean there’s some nice rhetoric here and there but when you look at the actual policies … the drone assassination campaign is a perfectly good example, I mean it’s just a global assassination campaign.”
While many critics of Obama claim the President is not supportive of Israel, Chomsky thinks that in fact Obama has actually resisted Israel’s actions less than the first or even second Bush. When Netanyahu does something drawing Obama’s disapproval, Obama does nothing except for some verbal criticism. Chomsky says:
“[Obama’s] telling Netanyahu and the other Israeli leaders: I’ll tap you on the wrist but go ahead and do what you like …. So in fact, Obama is actually the first president who hasn’t really imposed restrictions on Israel.”
[Chomsky cites a Senate bill co-signed by Obama in 2006 in support of Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon. Obama’s record on pushing back Netanyahu’s settlement expansion has been very poor – Oui]
Chomsky is also critical of neoliberal programs, which he claims helped create the global financial crisis and have been harmful in most places they have been implemented. Deregulation of the financial system created the conditions that allowed for the rise of complex securities whose risks were not properly evaluated. As a result of these policies, there was a financial crisis in the US, and later, Europe. Many European countries now face austerity policies harmful to the vast majority of their people.
Below the fold Juan Cole on Syria and Palestine, some criticism …
Informed Comment Juan Cole on Syria and Palestine
In interview Juan Cole shows blatant support of regime overthrow in Syria and in academic view mentions the more than 60,000 deaths. I have questioned his wisdom on the Syria analysis, this interview he once again calls the militant jihadists “revolutionaries.” That’s now what the jihadists are called in the AfPak region nor after the US invasion of Iraq the opposition in the Sunni triangle. Those revoltionaries are terrorrist with suicide bombings and summary executions of hundreds of Syrian Army soldiers. Professor, these acts constitute war crimes.
From his blog …