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Professor Noam Chomsky's UK tour emphasises potential of an 'organised public'

Posted: 02/11/09 By: Judith Townend

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New manifestations of citizen organisation are a cause for optimism, Professor Noam Chomsky emphasised at three public lectures in the UK last week.

Chomsky, whose critical theories have been received with equally extreme praise and criticism over the years, drew attention to the concept in his analysis of US foreign policy dictated by 'mafia doctrine' and the 'virus effect,' inevitably touching on the media's hand in shaping world events, at last Tuesday's crowded SOAS event, 'Crises in the Unipolar Moment' [in full at this link].

A queue of people waiting to see one of the most challenging and well-known intellectuals alive snaked down the stairs at the Institute of Education for the lecture. Inside the lecture hall, an excited buzz filled the air.

The interest surrounding his appearance, makes the media's lack of coverage (just check Google News) all the more baffling - or perhaps not, after listening to the detail of Chomsky's argument.

His quietly emphasised points forced the audience to consider why a banking crisis is made to feel more alarming than world poverty; how European Union policy might have in fact encouraged piracy in Somalia; why many consider China and India such leading economic forces, when the statistics suggest otherwise; and why conflict in Darfur receives more attention than conflict in Eastern Congo.

It was in the numerous questions afterwards, which Chomsky took all at once, answering one after another in something approaching a second lecture, that he most closely addressed the issue of modern media and the growing force of public organisation.

Citizen participation
Challenged by one audience member on his global pessimism, Professor Chomsky countered that there was some positive action in society to which the world could grasp:

"There's a lot of reason to be optimistic, like the difference between the [citizen] reaction to Vietnam and the reaction to Iraq," he said.

We should be encouraged, he suggested, by the differences in the solidarity movements to each of those military actions. Global justice movements are new, he added. There has been, he said, complete innovation that 'came out of mainstream America'.

"That's not a reason for pessimism, that's a reason for understanding there's a lot we can do."

Independent journalism
Public organisation and education, for example, would help host the voice of marginalised dissidents, Chomsky said.

"If journalism really committed itself in this [communicating dissident views] it would have to be an independent and populist and supportive force outside of secularist power," he said.

It was Mexico - one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist - that Chomsky found an example of independent journalism, which he learned from during a few days in the country, he said.

"They have a newspaper which is a real independent newspaper - maybe the only one in the [Western] hemisphere," he said.

"It's not an offshoot of the corporate system. It's not a state journal. It doesn't get any ads because businesses won't advertise in it and it's very honest and accurate."

The paper's serious journalism has helped it become the second largest newspaper in Mexico, proving that independent journalism can be done, he said.

Of online activity, he was measured: "What about the internet? It can contribute to this [media independence]. It's an ambiguous instrument and you can use it for deliberation, you can use it for control."

Of the internet's benefit to society, Chomsky, understanding where so many fail with their straw men arguments, said: "There's no simple answer to that one."

Neatly illustrating his theories, the mainstream media has paid little attention to Professor Noam Chomsky's hugely anticipated visit to London last week, even though his public talks drew interest from more people than could fit into the lecture halls.

Popular demand
It was the first occasion since the principal, Paul Webley, took up his role three years ago, that the School of Oriental and African Studies had used its Logan Hall at the Institute of Education, a venue allowing a bigger audience.

Although the event was simply announced on the university's website, with no mass media publicity, SOAS was inundated with requests from students and the general public wishing to attend.

Likewise, users wishing to see Chomsky at the London School of Economics on October 29 found its events' website inaccessible shortly after tickets were released, such was the high-level of demand. Fortunately for those unable to obtain tickets audio and video from the LSE and SOAS events is now available online.

His short UK public tour ended with the Amnesty International annual lecture in Belfast on Friday [October 30], in which he warned that the far-right may take advantage of growing inequality and encouraged people to organise against poverty.

Got a story? Email our news team: Laura Oliver; Judith Townend or telephone +44 (0)1273 384290. You can also follow us on Twitter: @journalismnews / @LauraOliver / @JTownend.