Understanding power
Ratings13
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings13
Average rating4.2
"A major new collection from "arguably the most important intellectual alive" (The New York Times). Noam Chomsky is universally accepted as one of the preeminent public intellectuals of the modern era. Over the past thirty years, broadly diverse audiences have gathered to attend his sold-out lectures. Now, in Understanding Power, Peter Mitchell and John Schoeffel have assembled the best of Chomsky's recent talks on the past, present, and future of the politics of power. In a series of enlightening and wide-ranging discussions, all published here for the first time, Chomsky radically reinterprets the events of the past three decades, covering topics from foreign policy during Vietnam to the decline of welfare under the Clinton administration. And as he elucidates the connection between America's imperialistic foreign policy and the decline of domestic social services, Chomsky also discerns the necessary steps to take toward social change. With an eye to political activism and the media's role in popular struggle, as well as U.S. foreign and domestic policy, Understanding Power offers a sweeping critique of the world around us and is definitive Chomsky. Characterized by Chomsky's accessible and informative style, this is the ideal book for those new to his work as well as for those who have been listening for years."
Reviews with the most likes.
This was an eye-opener for me - a politically interested person, who used to believe in partisan/labelled politics - left over right, secularism over fundamentalism, and so on.
This book should be mandatory reading for every person even slightly interested in politics and activism - it will make you realize there is no such thing as left/right (both are equally morally bankrupt), ‘news' (media coverage is extensively covered in the book), and fundamentalism.
It will be an absolute disservice to label the book as simply ‘eye-opening'. It will be more accurate to say that you begin to see things in color, rather than simply black and white. And that is simply the gift that keeps on giving,
This is like a book written by a wise visiting alien. Its uncomfortable to realise that the ugly world that Chomsky paints is the very one we live in. Definitely a red pill kind of book that has the tendency to leave one feeling rather powerless. Basically about how power is used by the “ruling class” (money & government) to serve their own needs and f**k yours over. Recommended reading for everyone; should be on the curriculum of every high school.
This is indispensable indeed. Chomsky can get carried away sometimes, but the book is outstanding.
Tolstoy has famous quote saying – All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. I think it's apt quote but in reverse direction when we apply it to current state of Nations. When I talk with friends we often talk about how media is biased towards former ruling party and not portraying the correct picture of the current ruling party in India. They say if somehow they show the correct picture then people will appreciate what government is doing (or what they are not doing, for that matter). And exactly same problem Chomsky talks about in detail and he present it so eloquently that you starts to wonder whether there is any hope of expecting for media to behave sanely. I mean, one of the most powerful country has this flaw, then what chance India has. The problem is that with America its media working for government and for India is media working against it. Not to mention how horrific situation of world is due to this power-play. Again you have to take every opinion of every activist with grain of salt and don't fall for the trap that the activist itself is promoting to solve. One thing for sure though, I starting to see pessimistic but somewhat clear picture of the problems in the world and now pondering whether there will ever be any solution to such problems.
A side note: I picked up this book after reading Aaron Swartz's review of this book in his blog post and I think you too should read his opinion of this book in his blog post
