Still Reading Chomsky

Sometimes it can be downright disheartening to read this stuff. The litany of events and atrocities that Chomsky lists are devastating. I'm not saying that reality is indeed how Chomsky says it is, but he certainly marshalls a lot of facts and sources to back his account.

Ultimately, this is why I consider Chomsky's work "high-value" or "high-quality" information. There's a real payback in terms of the quantity of information given. Compared to the Bush Administration, and all the false and misleading information you get, all the divisive and self-serving spin, Chomsky is an information tycoon.

Also, I find some of the most value in reading Chomsky from his emphasis on words and acts, irrespective of "useful fictions", "necessary illusions", and "national mythologies". He comes across as a concerned and responsible human being who considers the inalienable, the principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence, human rights and justice, as something of real value, something to be aspired to and realized, rather than left as a resort and device of rhetoric, parroted but ultimately betrayed by the narcissism of "in" and "out" group relations (not to mention greed and avarice).

So I'm reading and reflecting on Chomsky, along with various other mainstream and alternative theorists and historians, and wondering how we can take our history and legacy from here, continuing to grow and realize a more inclusive and less coercive political state of affairs. In other words, practicing what we preach.

Tomorrow, I'll talk more about the freedom of information, transparency and accountability, and the inalienable rights of human beings. All human beings. And, contrary to the claims of the Bush Administration, this will inevitably include considerations of the institution and binding nature of international law, respected by all nations, and assuring the rights and dignity of human beings before any other consideration.

As an American and a patriot, I see no contradiction, or threat, in taking this path. To me, this is America. Our legacy, and our destiny. Freedom and security for all men and women, by the means of mutual aid and equality before the law.