From: Lee Daniel Crocker (lee@piclab.com)
Date: Mon Dec 09 2002 - 17:09:01 MST
> (Samantha Atkins <samantha@objectent.com>):
> > Can you recommend something by Chomsky that is political that you
> >regard as logical and with a good grasp of reality? I have read him and
> >based on that sample decided he was a babbling idiot. I won't extend
> >myself very far to read him further but if you have something that is
> >acceptable I will give him another trial -- on line would be best.
>
> You made the claim. You offer the evidence you consider
> convincing. Otherwise please consider not making such broad and
> inflammatory statements.
> - samantha
There's nothing particularly inflammatory or even unusual about
calling Chomsky's political views nonsense. Only a few of the
extreme left take him seriously at all since he made a fool of
himself as an apologist for mass-murdering psychopath Pol Pot.
His views on linguistics of course are another matter entirely,
and are still the received wisdom of the field, as they deserve
to be. But just because he's a brilliant man, that doesn't make
him a decent human being, or make his ethical or political views
relevant or respectable. He does get quoted a awful lot, though,
because he's also pretty good a spotlight-grabbing.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lee/> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC
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