Noam Chomsky: 9-11: Institutional Analysis vs. Conspiracy Theory

[Kid_Eternity]

I've been waiting for Chomsky to deal with this one. More and more I get annoyed that conspiracy nutcases allow actual dissent to be dismissed. Good to see some real rationality brought to bear on this bollox:

ZNet Sustainer: Dear Noam, There is much documentation observed and uncovered by the 911 families themselves suggesting a criminal conspiracy within the Bush Administration to cover-up the 9/11 attacks (see DVD, 9/11: Press for Truth). Additionally, much evidence has been put forward to question the official version of events. This has come in part from Paul Thompson, an activist who has creatively established the 9/11 Timeline, a free 9/11 investigative database for activist researchers, which now, according to The Village Voice’s James Ridgeway, rivals the 9/11 Commission’s report in accuracy and lucidity (see,http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0416,mondo1,52830,6.html, or www.cooperativeresearch.org).

Noam Chomsky: Hard for me to respond to the rest of the letter, because I am not persuaded by the assumption that much documentation and other evidence has been uncovered. To determine that, we'd have to investigate the alleged evidence. Take, say, the physical evidence. There are ways to assess that: submit it to specialists -- of whom there are thousands -- who have the requisite background in civil-mechanical engineering, materials science, building construction, etc., for review and analysis; and one cannot gain the required knowledge by surfing the internet. In fact, that's been done, by the professional association of civil engineers. Or, take the course pursued by anyone who thinks they have made a genuine discovery: submit it to a serious journal for peer review and publication. To my knowledge, there isn't a single submission.

More...

And of course he nails it with this response:

ZNet Sustainer: A question that arises for me is that regardless of this issue, how do I as an activist prevent myself from getting distracted by such things as conspiracy theories instead of focusing on the bigger picture of the institutional analysis of private profit over people?

Noam Chomsky: I think this reaches the heart of the matter. One of the major consequences of the 9/11 movement has been to draw enormous amounts of energy and effort away from activism directed to real and ongoing crimes of state, and their institutional background, crimes that are far more serious than blowing up the WTC would be, if there were any credibility to that thesis. That is, I suspect, why the 9/11 movement is treated far more tolerantly by centers of power than is the norm for serious critical and activist work. How do you personally set priorities? That's of course up to you. I've explained my priorities often, in print as well as elsewhere, but we have to make our own judgments.

 

[editor]

ZNet Sustainer: Considering that in the US there are stage-managed elections, public relations propaganda wars, and a military-industrial-education-prison-etc. complex, does something like this sound far-fetched?

Noam Chomsky: I think that's the wrong way to look at it. Everything you mention goes back far before 9/11, and hasn't changed that much since. More evidence that the 9/11 movement is diverting energy and attention away from far more serious crimes -- and in this case crimes that are quite real and easily demonstrated.

That is, I suspect, why the 9/11 movement is treated far more tolerantly by centers of power than is the norm for serious critical and activist work.

There you have it fruitloops: you're doing the State's work for them.

 

[Flashman]

Oh the irony.

 

[Belushi]

Good work Noam

 

[Wookey]

There you have it fruitloops: you're doing the State's work for them.

And that is no conspiracy theory..

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Oh the irony.

Ok, I'll take the bait; what irony?

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Damn, they finally got to him

 

[editor]

Ok, I'll take the bait; what irony?

The irony of the fruitloops doing the State's work for them, shurely?

 

[pk]

There you have it fruitloops: you're doing the State's work for them.

Many here have been saying that for years.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

The irony of the fruitloops doing the State's work for them, shurely?

That was my first thought but I've heard lots of weirdo crap about Chomsky being a front for the CIA/US gov/Lizards distracting us from "the truth" about power...

 

[Roadkill]

Nice to see some intelligent, rational thinking about 9/11 rather than the paranoid conspiracy theory nonsense that we see all too much of...

 

[iROBOT]

N.C. says it like it is....as always.

 

[Neva]

Norm says it like it is....as always.

lol

 

[Flashman]

Ok, I'll take the bait; what irony?

With the loons fighting an illusionary battle, their target is happy to tolerate it as it takes attention away from the real dodgy shite they get up to, stuff that ordinarily the loons might be marching or asking question about.

 

[iROBOT]

Apparently his book Orentalism is required reading in some fundamental sectors of Islam, anyone know any more about this?

 

[happie chappie]

The irony of the fruitloops doing the State's work for them, shurely?

Which is, of course, another conspriacy theory - albeit less far-fetched and therefore more credible than the pilotless drones, missiles-attached-to-the planes' wings, remote pre-planted explosive detonation etc etc etc 9/11 theories we've been subjected to.

Happie Chappie

 

[Fruitloop]

Apparently his book Orentalism is required reading in some fundamental sectors of Islam, anyone know any more about this?

Edward Said?

 

[Jazzz]

Oh, Noam has spoken! Good that's over with, we can all go home

 

[Fruitloop]

i just asked my boss and he says I can't

 

[editor]

Oh, Noam has spoken! Good that's over with, we can all go home

Best you stick with Joe 'No Facts!' Vialls, dodgy Prof Steven 'Jesus Woz In America' Jones and Alex 'The Plagiarist' Jones, eh?

Oh, and a load of lunatic websites written by lying morons for gullible 'truth seekers'.

 

[pk]

Oh, Noam has spoken! Good that's over with, we can all go home

He's right though. You and your conspiranoid chums serve to assist nasty governments by focusing on easily destroyable theories such as holograms and lizards and other David Icke-esque shite, whilst the real crimes are carried out right under your nose.

They must thank their lucky stars the internet is clogged up with shit like the theories you appear to give credibility to.

 

[Neva]

Apparently his book Orentalism is required reading in some fundamental sectors of Islam, anyone know any more about this?

I've read this. It wasn't by Chomsky. It was alright though and if you've never heard of cultural imperialism and things like that before then it can be a good eye opener. It got pretty widely criticised as well though for various things which I can't seem to recall anymore.

 

[DJ Bigga]

Why are they reffered to as loons and fruitloops?

 

[iROBOT]

Edward Said?

Yes!! Got my writers mixed up..thanks, havent read it yet. Must get a copy.

Cheers...

 

[ViolentPanda]

Oh, Noam has spoken! Good that's over with, we can all go home

I'll take Noam Chomsky over the likes of Joe Vialls any day.

 

[Jazzz]

But hang on pk - you think the WTC was demolished!

 

[editor]

Why are they reffered to as loons and fruitloops?

How else would you describe someone insisting that we were *all* mistaken when we saw the passenger planes hit the WTC, because they were in fact hit by invisible missile-firing holographic planes? Oh, and those towers were already invisibly prewired with invisible explosives fitted by invisible operatives.

Sounds like the utterings of a fruitloop to me.

 

[kyser_soze]

Did you read the replies? Someone actually posted up the 'Remote controlled plane' theory, complete with moving pictures; there's loads of people on there who are demolition fans etc etc.

Pretty sorry state really - all these people convinced of skulduggery and completely ignoring the real crimes.

 

[pk]

But hang on pk - you think the WTC was demolished!

No... I had my suspicions about WTC7 but I found a reasonable explanation that didn't involve lizards or holograms.

 

[iROBOT]

I've read this. It wasn't by Chomsky. It was alright though and if you've never heard of cultural imperialism and things like that before then it can be a good eye opener. It got pretty widely criticised as well though for various things which I can't seem to recall anymore.

Thanks...must say it does get trotted out when ever I read or see or hear anything from an Islamic viewpoint....

Ok back to N.C....sorry for the derail.