Chomsky lecture criticizes U.S. policy

Noam Chomsky, a professor and activist, spoke for more than an hour about his views on U.S. foreign policy.

By John Hendel

Published Feb. 28, 2006

Noam Chomsky, professor and activist, spoke to a full house at the Missouri Theatre on Monday night. Chomsky criticized U.S. foreign policy during his hour-long lecture.

News of Chomsky's visit to MU sparked excitement. Tickets to his lecture at the Missouri Theatre, which has 1,200 seats, ran out after two and a half days. The tickets were free and available to students and members of the community.

Such popularity forced organizers to reserve two additional rooms on campus to show the speech over closed-circuit television.

Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union, where the speech was broadcast, was about half-filled with students who watched the lecture on a screen. Another screen in Waters Auditorium malfunctioned, preventing the lecture from being broadcast there.

The three screens in Stotler Lounge provided clear access to Chomsky's speech. Professor Marty Patton volunteered to set up the broadcast.

"This was pulled together on short notice," Patton said about the broadcast.

The screens lit up at 6:30 p.m. to show the band that played before Chomsky's speech.

The crowd of about 50 reacted when Chomsky appeared on screen.

"I'm afraid this is going to be a little more somber," Chomsky said as he began his lecture.

Chomsky, 77, broke down his opinions about U.S. foreign policy for the next hour.

His primary criticism involved his ideas about the control the U.S. government imposes on other countries.

"Washington resorted to its standard methods of subversion," he said about the recent Palestinian election.

Chomsky described how Osama bin Laden attributed guilt to U.S. civilians by naming them fair targets of war, and Chomsky said the United States did the same with foreign countries.

"That leaves the U.S. and Israel in splendid isolation in adopting Osama's perverse doctrine," he said.

His speech offered a tour of the United States' involvement in politics around the world. Chomsky touched on Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba and especially the Middle East.

He also criticized the Bush administration's motivations for war in Iraq.

"U.S. and British leaders are informing us that they are the most brazen liars in history," he said. Iraq, he emphasized repeatedly, was Bush's "messianic mission."

He ended his speech with suggestions for better governing. Some examples included embracing the United Nations, international courts and the Kyoto protocols about the environment. The crowd erupted in applause when he called for more social spending instead of military spending.

Chomsky praised U.S. freedoms, however, while taking questions from the audience. "We have an opportunity to do anything we like," Chomsky said.

Chomsky also noted a possible correlation between wealth and social apathy.

"It makes the most privileged people in the world feel like they're helpless," he said.

The crowd seemed to react positively to Chomsky's lecture. In Stotler Lounge, people often chuckled at his jokes, though the audience generally maintained attentive silence.

"What makes his positions controversial?" professor Abdullah Ibrahim asked.

Ibrahim said he thought Chomsky drew his arguments on solid facts.

"I hope he can tell us what we can individually do to prevent any more killing and destruction," said John Galliher, director of peace studies, who introduced Chomsky. "If anyone can tell us what to do to prevent the war, it is Noam Chomsky."