loading...
Noam Chomsky - Imperial Grand Strategy
2005
Chomsky is back, contesting official versions of history and today's news in two powerful lectures and a 45-minute interview. While each piece stands alone, they also complement one another to provide both a far-ranging view of world politics and a glimpse into Chomsky's personal political beliefs that is both entertaining and .. Read more
| Starring | Noam Chomsky |
|---|---|
| Genres | Documentary |
loading...
Noam Chomsky - Imperial Grand Strategy
Chomsky is back, contesting official versions of history and today's news in two powerful lectures and a 45-minute interview. While each piece stands alone, they also complement one another to provide both a far-ranging view of world politics and a glimpse into Chomsky's personal political beliefs that is both entertaining and informative.
In Imperial Grand Strategy, a lecture given at the University of Manchester, Chomsky takes on the war in Iraq. He cuts through the ideological fog that surrounds the invasion and occupation, laying waste to the U.S. government's justifications for them. In the process, he uncovers the real motivations behind U.S. military aggression: a global imperial plan put in place long before Iraq - and that will extend far into the future, unless we do something about it.
The Assault on Freedom and Democracy, delivered at Merrimack College, moves from broad, geo-political concerns to the sort of authoritarian societies needed "on the ground" for such imperial strategies to work. Discussing the Patriot Acts (1 & 2) at home and a long and disgraceful U.S. history of "democracy-building" abroad, Chomsky highlights the vast difference between noble rhetoric and our consistent military and economic support for dictators and thugs.
The DVD ends with Questions About Anarchism, an interview with Barry Pateman of the Emma Goldman Archives. In a more relaxed and personal exchange, Chomsky discusses the anarchist principles that have guided him since he was a teenager and that lie behind the social and political analysis he's been producing for the last four decades.
Noam Chomsky is one of the worlds leading intellectuals, the father of modern linguistics, an outspoken media and foreign policy critic, and tireless activist. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.
| Starring | Noam Chomsky |
|---|---|
| Studio | MUSIC VIDEO DIST. |
| Run time | DVD: 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Documentary |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 08 May 2006 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
-
Most helpful member's review
View all -
21 out of 21 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
A voice for the alternatives
This is basically two lectures by Noam Chomsky and a rather rambling interview about anochism (in which he seems profoundly intrested but no great supporter unlike his interviewer)
Th etwo lectures are Imperial Grand Strategy which is pretty much an overview of his book Hegemony or Survival and is probably the best section of the disk.
Noam is personable and interesting but suffers a little from sounding rather academic (it's noticable that they gave the reading of his book to a different more 'brown' voice).
He quite quickly covers a lot here with no small intent that the watcher should go away and conduct further research on what he says (after all he is talking to students) to fill in the gaps.
The sexond lecture is part of a debate on Iraq called ' The Onslaught against freedom and democracy led by Bush administration reactionaries.'
As he comments this is hardly a neutral title and in and of itself colours what can be delivered and how it's delivered on the plus side though it does mean a radically different lecture is given and while some things obviously cross over there's enough here to keep this fresh and interesting
The finally and for my money least interesting part is a long conversatoin on the failings and foibles of anachism and various anachist writingsNoem is quite clearly interested in this on an interlectual level rather than any form of belief in it but as ever is well read and insightful.
I thoroughly recomend this for anyone interested in taking a deeper intrest in the methods and motivations behind some of the current political strategies it sheds a particularly interesting light over the findings of the Iraq Study Group report.
While excellent though it has a target audience it's thought provoking and requires attention this isn't an after the pub with the lads and a takeaway DVD -
Most recent members' review
View all -
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Its not what you would call popcron
I think even the kind of people who would rent this sort of thing would be supprised by the quality of it (in terms of production values) Its marginally better than the sort of thing your dad would make you watch after using his new video camera on Holiday. That being said we're not watching this for the technical quality of the camera work or the direction we are watching it becasue we want to listen to what Noam has to say. so you are basically sitting in a University lecture theatre and paying attention. And you will have to pay attention as Noam is covering a fair bit of ground here.
This is not a documentary so dont be expecting any flash graphics its basically an old fashioned lecture. Noam does not bother with powerpoint, over head projectors of any other fancy parifinalial, including detailed notes by the looks of it, its all off of memory which is impressive.
Some very intresting comments put forward as are some very intresting infromation on the way the western world ir run, on how the media portrait it (particulary in the US). It is impressive to watch someone draw together a vast knowlage of current affairs and history and make some sense of it. The likelihood that you will agree will depend on your political beliefs but regardless of which side of the fence you are on it will provoke you to check your own facts in more depth and trying to find out more before you comment.
The disapointing aspect of the dvd is the interview at the end. Why the interviewer sees fit to ask questions about the merits of political anarchy as a workable system seems lost in the contex of the two lectures. Sure Noam knows his stuff and can wax lyrical on it but the whole thing felt like the interview was basically trying to catch out Noam by refrencing texts, theorists and authors who to the general public (me included) are complete unknowns. If the interview works then it is only from the prespective that you get to watch Noam display his encyclopedic knowlage of another subject. All the more impressive when you consider that his actual 'job' is as a linguistic specialist. How do you spell Pollymath?? -
More like this
View all
Related user collection
Great Films for evolved people (30)
78.8% from 16 members
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
-
-
-
Noam Chomsky - Imperial Grand Strategy
Chomsky is back, contesting official versions of history and today's news in two powerful lectures and a 45-minute interview. While each piece stands alone, they also complement one another to provide both a far-ranging view of world politics and a glimpse into Chomsky's personal political beliefs ...
-