Customer Reviews

Secrets, Lies and Democracy (The Real Story Series)

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Chomsky at his inciteful best! Taken from interview transcripts by David Barsamian, this book reflects the Chomsky you may have heard on the radio or on a cassette. He presents information in a more casual manner than his "written" books. This book is a great introduction and a fast read (I knocked it off while waiting to see a doctor).

A great reference work for middle school kids writing social studies papers. Lots of facts, but not mind numbing scholarship to slog through. The book is well indexed, and contains a list organizations working to correct some of the problems he points out.

Chomsky continues to reiterate the thesis, which has made him famous, namely, that our democracy has been sold to the highest bidder. We do not live in a representative democracy, but rather a corporate oligarchy. While we go through the motions of free elections, in reality the choices have already been constrained to eliminate anybody who would reform the system.

In this short book (less than 100 pages of Chomsky), the first half is spent considering the failure of democracy in the United States. He then looks at the implications for the world, drawing some interesting conclusions. He notes that while the indigenous peasants of Chiapas (home of the Zapatistas) are nearly as oppressed as the chicanos living in East LA, the Angelenos are in much worse shape because of the destruction of Community.

Bottom line? It's a fast read. If you're predisposed to a progressive critique of politics and economics, it will support what you already believe. If not, you'll be annoyed and wish for footnotes so that you could refute him.

This is an interesting pamphlet of interviews by David Barsamian with Noam Chomsky, which covers a wide collection of topics from defective democracy, health care, religious fundamentalism, the CIA and the media.

The central thrust of these interviews focuses on the corporatization of our democratic system. In one interview, Chomsky cites Thomas Jefferson's warning or fear, made at the end of his life, stating, that, the elites, aristocrats, "fear and distrust of the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes." Democrats on the other hand, "identify with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe, although not the most wise, depository of the public interest." What Jefferson was saying is that the people should have the reigns of power; we should be in control, and not the centralized, powerful elites. Jefferson's greatest fear was the "banking institutions and monied incorporations" (big business) and if they were allowed to influence politics, they would eventually run the entire show, benefiting the few at the exclusion of the majority. It is here, throughout this text, that Chomsky offers several examples how corporate America and big business internationally, influence our democratic system where, economically the "little guy' suffers while big business gets bigger as our basic wages plummet. In other terms, the rich get richer, the gap between rich and poor widens and only the few benefit.

One has only to look at the statistical indicators of countries around the world, comparing rich and poor sovereign states to see that nothing is changing for the better in developing countries but steadily getting worse, while the small percentage of rich countries, ironically exploiting these poorer countries, are improving their wealth. The gap is widening, particularly over the past thirty years, doubling the wealth in the top twenty percent, while the low twenty percent has become much poorer. These statistics speak for themselves, and there are reasons for this dramatic shift in wealth.

Politicians' incestuous connection to the corporate sector is well documented. Tax breaks for the rich, while the man or woman on basic wages supporting a family can pay, in some cases, more tax than a CEO. Our politicians for the obvious reasons protect the corporate sector: campaign contributions, personal investment, etc. Jefferson's fear and warning in the early 19th century against banking institutions and monied corporations involvement in politics has been realized.

Chomsky, in most cases, backs his arguments with statistical data and historical documentation that can be researched and checked by any interested individual. His words are never rhetorical, ad hominem arguments or self-righteous condemnations to push a personal agenda. He speaks about fact, revealing injustice and at times crimes against the common citizen that should not be ignored. This little book is a good starting point for further research into economic and international affairs.

Chomsky and I disagree on a lot, but he offers some compelling insight into the organizations that usurp modern democracy. Organizations such as the CIA and the media, for example. He also has thoughts about gun control, fundamentalism, and even sports.

I'd reccommend it for anyone interested in wanting to know more about the world around them, or about Chomsky's views.

This book is made up of interview with Noam Chomsky. The book was edited and published in 1994 which makes it old. However, I do believe that it's relevant today and not much has changed when it should have. The book consists of several facts and he tells us where he's getting his information from which is helpful when doing your own research. I recommended this book to those whom are interested in learning about the secrets and lies that we hear everyday.It's a short book and readers should have an open mind while reading it.

he never fails to amaze me. chomskey is the middle-man between near-unobtainable knowledge and the interested public. Anyone who wants to really know the truth and not just a bunch of impartial, unjustified and most often distorted lies, pick up a chomskey book and read.

This book gives a LOT of information at a very understandable writing level. A lot is talked about the US's involvement with other nations and, how it also helped the nazi's and other things like that. It's very interesting. Somethings were talked about more than others though, and not completely explained, but for the most part, it's pretty well explained.

I disagree with Chomsky on many fronts to the point of irritation, finding that his research appears to consist primarily of what he reads (e.g., without talking to people more in the know), his opinions are slanted towards the most negative/conspiracy theory perspective (e.g., his interpretation on p. 56 that Clinton's encouragement of people to go to church is "...straightforward. If people devote themselves to activities that are out of the public arena, then we folks in power will be able to run things the way we want"), and he generally complains without recognizing the full picture (for instance, his prediction on p. 20 that Alabama's offering tax breaks to Daimler Benz would have negative consequences for most of its citizens, despite more recent aftermath reports that Alabama significantly benefitted) or offering a better alternative. But this book is a good readable summary of some of his views, and he does have a few good points (such as, how people are distracted from participating in democracy--though Chomsky misses the extent to which less intellectual people are not interested in participating--and the extent to which people need to organize to get political power (though the list of organizations at the conclusion of the book is wide-ranging, and emphasis is placed upon the groups' stated missions without recognition of their tactics, some of which are highly questionable).

Typical Chomsky; too general and vague to be thought provoking. His usual template, elite vs. populace, is applied to everything. There is no frame of reference nor explaining the dynamics of the situation. His references are nill. If people want to educate themselves on a particular topic, read material that is complete and indepth.