Re: Noam Chomsky and Cambodia

From: Pat Inniss (inniss@sprynet.com)
Date: Tue Dec 10 2002 - 21:08:06 MST


Mike:

Without debating in detail the merits of Chomsky's positions, couldn't we at least agree that, as rationalists, we should all be "anti-Israel?" Israel is a state whose premise is the inherent superiority of one religious group over others, certainly in terms of their rights within an area to which they claim ownership based upon a largely mythical world view. How could a humanist, secularist or rationalist ever be a supporter of Israel as it is presently constituted?

You also seem to use the term "collectivist' rather haphazardly. If one were truly "pro-collectivist," that would incline one toward supporting Israel, not the reverse, Israel being one of the more socialized nations, at least if you consider only Israeli citizens.

As far as being pro-Arab, I'd hope most people would consider themselves pro-human, which would certainly imply pro-Arab. But if by pro-Arab you mean tending toward a sympathy for Palestinians suffering and supporting measures to relieve that suffering and injustice, such sentiments would be implied by a rejection of irrational and fundamentally anti-humanistic Zionism.

I haven't noticed anybody on this list who impressed me as being "anti-science/technology." Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention.

Regards,

Pat Inniss
http://home.sprynet.com/~inniss

-------Original Message-------
From: Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@yahoo.com>
Sent: 12/10/02 02:58 PM
To: extropians@extropy.org
Subject: Re: Noam Chomsky and Cambodia

>
--- Dehede011@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 12/10/2002 11:59:15 AM Central Standard Time, jonkc@att.net writes: I think the New York Review of Books got it right when
> they called Mr. Chomsky "the Doctor Demento of American Political Commentary."
>
> Okay, you have me hooked. You have my interest caught. We have people right here on this list that treat Chomsky as if he were rational and highly intelligent. Worse yet he is considered by many to be well informed. How do you account for that?

It's fairly simple. Such people, esp on this list, who are Chomsky fans I have also found to be highly anti-Israel, Pro-Arab, anti-capital, anti-libertarian, pro-collectivist, anti-science/technology, pro-luddite/green mysticism, anti-rationalist, pro-spiritualist.

I won't raise more hackles by applying a well known political label to people who think this way, as I think it is rather plain-as-day, so
nothing further need be said.

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Jan 15 2003 - 17:58:39 MST