Case Studies in Hypocrisy: U.S. Human Rights Policy

by Noam Chomsky

With his inimitable penetrating analysis and dry wit, Chomsky leads us through the murky blood-soaked reality of America’s New World Order—whether it’s NAFTA, GATT, MAI and the WTO, or our relations with Palestine, Israel, Haiti and China. The second lecture of this two-part set focuses on the motives and consequences of US Iraq policy—a continuing example of murderous hypocrisy at its most lethal.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Philosophy

220 pages, Audio CD

First published March 14, 2000

About the author

Avram Noam Chomsky is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He is a laureate professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona and an institute professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Among the most cited living authors, Chomsky has written more than 150 books on topics such as linguistics, war, and politics. In addition to his work in linguistics, since the 1960s Chomsky has been an influential voice on the American left as a consistent critic of U.S. foreign policy, contemporary capitalism, and corporate influence on political institutions and the media.
Born to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants (his father was William Chomsky) in Philadelphia, Chomsky developed an early interest in anarchism from alternative bookstores in New York City. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania. During his postgraduate work in the Harvard Society of Fellows, Chomsky developed the theory of transformational grammar for which he earned his doctorate in 1955. That year he began teaching at MIT, and in 1957 emerged as a significant figure in linguistics with his landmark work Syntactic Structures, which played a major role in remodeling the study of language. From 1958 to 1959 Chomsky was a National Science Foundation fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study. He created or co-created the universal grammar theory, the generative grammar theory, the Chomsky hierarchy, and the minimalist program. Chomsky also played a pivotal role in the decline of linguistic behaviorism, and was particularly critical of the work of B.F. Skinner.
An outspoken opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which he saw as an act of American imperialism, in 1967 Chomsky rose to national attention for his anti-war essay "The Responsibility of Intellectuals". Becoming associated with the New Left, he was arrested multiple times for his activism and placed on President Richard M. Nixon's list of political opponents. While expanding his work in linguistics over subsequent decades, he also became involved in the linguistics wars. In collaboration with Edward S. Herman, Chomsky later articulated the propaganda model of media criticism in Manufacturing Consent, and worked to expose the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. His defense of unconditional freedom of speech, including that of Holocaust denial, generated significant controversy in the Faurisson affair of the 1980s. Chomsky's commentary on the Cambodian genocide and the Bosnian genocide also generated controversy. Since retiring from active teaching at MIT, he has continued his vocal political activism, including opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq and supporting the Occupy movement. An anti-Zionist, Chomsky considers Israel's treatment of Palestinians to be worse than South African–style apartheid, and criticizes U.S. support for Israel.
Chomsky is widely recognized as having helped to spark the cognitive revolution in the human sciences, contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of language and the mind. Chomsky remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy, contemporary capitalism, U.S. involvement and Israel's role in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and mass media. Chomsky and his ideas are highly influential in the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements. Since 2017, he has been Agnese Helms Haury Chair in the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice at the University of Arizona.

Reviews

[Tadas Talaikis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who rejects UN Convention on the Children's Rights? Somalia, South Sudan and, of course, The United States :-D Long live "freedom".

[Don Heiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 2000 AK Press released two audio cd presentations by Noam Chomsky’s “Case Studies In Hypocrisy: Human Rights Policy.” The first 53 minute audio cd in the set is subtitled: “Rhetoric and Practice.” The second audio cd is subtitled “Motives and Consequences.” It is 54 minutes long. The “Rhetoric and Practice” audio cd has 23 reference themes; and the audio presentation on the second cd “Iraq Policies: Motives and Consequences” has 17 reference themes. Each presentation theme features Noam’s linguistic interests; his subtle humor; and his themes often have challenging (sometimes confrontational) notions about U.S. political positions. The reference themes are also about political events during the Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush administrations, Saddam Hussein, weapons of mass destruction, war crimes, and Iraq-Iran conflicts to mention a few. Many of Noam’s lectures feature the dysfunctional impacts caused by the use of torture chambers, media suppression, and conflicting social and political actions. Prison justice, universal rights, and rogue state events are also referenced in his presentations. (P)

[Kaspars Koo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again - very typical Chomsky. Talking about the same things as always. But probably one of his better works.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean he essentially predicted Iraq II right at the end (strong finish) so it gets rounded up.

[Ape Bleakney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to as an audiobook. (Re-listened, as I've had this since high school days?) A quick and classic political Chomsky take on hypocrisy found in US foreign policy.

[Skuli Saeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chomsky er ötull gagnrýnandi stefnu Bandaríkjastjórnar í mannréttindarmálum og stjórnmálum. Í þessum tveim fyrirlestrum dregur hann fram dæmi um tvískinnung BNA varðandi mannréttindarmál þar sem mörg verstu brot í þeim málaflokki eru framin af ríkisstjórninni á sama tíma og hún fordæmir oft veigaminni brot annarra þjóða. Í seinni fyrirlestrinum beinir Chomsky sjónum að fyrri innrásinni í Írak og hvernig Saddam Hussein hafi í raun verið náinn bandamaður BNA og vel studdur af ríkisstjórninni þrátt fyrir fjöldamorð hans á t.d. Kúrdum. Það var ekki fyrr en hann hreyfði við olíunni í Kuwait að mannréttindabrot hans voru týnd til sem ein af nauðsynlegum ástæðum innrásarinnar. Hæðni Chomskys og skörp gagnrýni er oft á tíðum óborganleg og vel þess virði að hlýða á þessa fyrirlestra.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hypocrisy is scary