Noam Chomsky Albums (12)
'Imperial Presidency: Sovereignty, Terror and the Second Superpower'
Release Date 8/23/2005
Tracks 11
Label G-7 Welcome Committe
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'War Crimes & Imperial Fantasies'
Release Date 10/5/2004
Tracks 2
Label Important
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'The Emerging Framework of World Power'
Release Date 9/16/2003
Tracks 19
Label AK Press/Virus
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'The New War on Terrorism'
Release Date 11/11/2002
Tracks 14
Label Alternative Tentacles
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What The Critics Say
While public figures habitually avoid controversial matters, Noam Chomsky seems to seek them out. His political views, however, are firmly grounded in radical tradition and never come across as half-baked. While The New War on Terrorism is first and foremost interested in September 11, Chomsky's analysis probes a number of essential questions surrounding the event. What exactly is terrorism? What are the origins of September 11? And what are the policy options that will help avoid such crimes in the future? Chomsky's answers are far from comforting. He begins by showing that terrorism is seldom defined as such by nations instigating military action. He offers a detailed look at the United States' military action in Nicaragua during the Reagan administration, actions which the World Court declared as an "unlawful use of force." "Unlawful use of force," Chomsky notes, is another phrase for terrorism. He discusses the CIA's role in training Al-Qaeda during the 1980s and how the organization turned against the U.S. when permanent American military bases were established in Saudi Arabia. He suggests that one way the United States can decrease the risk of violent acts is by ceasing to train terrorist's organizations around the world. While Chomsky's analysis may strike certain listeners as overly critical of United States policy, his criticisms, along with his ideas for possible solutions, are thought-provoking. The New War on Terrorism broadens the dialogue surrounding the events of September 11 and offers an in-depth analysis that seems increasingly rare in public forums. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
'An American Addiction: Drugs, Guerillas and Counterinsurgency/US Intelligence'
Release Date 11/20/2001
Tracks 18
Label Alternative Tentacles
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What The Critics Say
This spoken word release is in conjunction with anarchist book distributor AK Press. Noam Chomsky examines America's foreign policy and the intersection of drugs, guerrillas, and U.S. involvement. Learn how U.S. military might merely transform hardworking peasants into criminals at work deep in the jungle and out billions in military aid supports a Colombian ruling class rife with corruption. Chomsky lucidly delineates this insidious chain of invents since the beginnings in the '80s of the War on Drugs. This exegesis reflects back on events through the Bush administration providing $43 million in aid to the Taliban to destroy opium poppies in May 2001. ~ Tom Schulte, All Music Guide
'Case Studies in Hypocrisy: U.S. Human Rights Policy'
Release Date 3/14/2000
Tracks 40
Label Alternative Tentacles
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What The Critics Say
Noam Chomsky is internationally renowned for his valuable, alternate viewpoint to U.S. foreign policy. On this two-CD set, he shows that the United States' first priority abroad is the free flow of capital. Nothing must hinder corporate efforts to sell weapons and purchase oil -- not trade restrictions, environmental protections, and certainly not human rights. Chomsky shows how the U.S. repeatedly vetoes all efforts at creating international human-rights regulations. A UN-enabling convention on the rights of the child was rejected only by the U.S. and Somalia. But the most interesting part of these speeches are when he discusses America's economic boom of the late '90s and early 2000s. "All the odes to the fairy tale economic boom quite consistently point to the stock market for proof of how great things are," he says, "and it is great for the people who own stock. One percent of households own about half the stock and most of the rest is owned by the top ten percent. But for most of the population, roughly three-quarters, this is just something to watch, not something you take part in, and you watch it while your own conditions stagnate or decline." He goes on to describe the boom from the view of the average worker. "Workers are working longer, a month longer than 25 years ago. There is less pay, working conditions are worse, and there is far less security." The second CD is about U.S. Iraq policy and it covers a lot of familiar ground. Here, Chomsky draws some conclusions that are far-out, including that the U.S. is trying to reduce the population of Iraq, which might benefit oil production in the future. He doesn't attempt to balance any of his information, but the majority of what he has to say is relevant and critical. ~ Adam Bregman, All Music Guide
'Prospects for Democracy: Recorded Live at MIT'
Release Date 11/10/1998
Tracks 13
Label Epitaph
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'Propaganda & Control of the Public Mind'
Release Date 11/10/1998
Tracks 36
Label Alternative Tentacles
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What The Critics Say
Since the first stirrings of America's constitutional system, the framers wished to assure that the rights of private property prevailed. "The primary responsibility of government is to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority," said James Madison, and he warned that the government might not always be able to control the public with force. Political critic Noam Chomsky takes the listener through a loose history of American propaganda on this two-CD set from the wealthy landowners worried about agrarian reform who designed the U.S. government to the creation of the public relations industry in the '20s. Unsettling to listen to, Chomsky's research shows a very undemocratic country doing everything it can to keep workers from organizing, including beating them to a pulp and jailing them during the '20s, and more recently using propaganda to mobilize the community against them. He talks about how after World War II many Americans had basic social democratic ideas and there was enormous support for social programs, so the public-relations industry realized it had to "indoctrinate people with the capitalist story," and by the '50s a third of the material in America's schools was coming straight out of corporate propaganda offices. In one of Chomsky's more interesting tangents, he talks about how the CIA from its inception was trying to upset Italy's popular labor movement after World War II. Since Chomsky's main subject is often wrongs the U.S. has committed abroad and at home, he sometimes stretches his arguments and makes questionable statements like, "The U.S. is probably more fundamentalist than Iran." But generally he backs up his opinions with facts and his thesis is one that needs to be heard. His arguments are in fact so well put, contrary to mainstream media blabbing, and slightly dangerous that listeners shouldn't expect to see him on TV talk shows any time soon. ~ Adam Bregman, All Music Guide
'Free Market Fantasies: Capitalism in the Real World'
Release Date 3/25/1997
Tracks 28
Label Allied
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What The Critics Say
I don't know if Noam Chomsky has ever been high. However, he could explain to you the twisted vision of capitalism and free-market economics that lie at the root of William Burroughs books. Still, he is one of the most insightful commentators extant on this commodity-focused culture. Chomsky, a notoriously dry and unexciting speaker, as usual, benefits from production, and Free Market Fantasies is a good listen. This classic Chomsky lecture may make you feel suspicious about global media. Also, you will feel guilty about mall shopping but hopefully not guilty about buying the CD. ~ Tom Schulte, All Music Guide
'Clinton Vision: Old Wine, New Bottles'
Release Date 1/28/1997
Tracks 22
Label Epitaph
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