The Chomsky Reader

The political and linguistic writings of America's leading dissident intellectual. He relates his political ideals to his theories about language.

NOAM CHOMSKY is Institute Professor (Emeritus) in the M.I.T. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. His work is widely credited with having revolutionized the field of modern linguistics. Chomsky is the author of many best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hegemony or Survival, Failed States, Imperial Ambitions, What We Say Goes, and Hopes and Prospects.

JAMES PECK is the editor of China's Uniterrupted Revolution and The Indochina Story, both published by Pantheon.

Introduction • vii

Part I. Interview • 1

Part II. The Responsibilities of Intellectuals • 57
            The Responsibilities of Intellectuals • 59
            Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship • 83
            The Manufacture of Consent • 121

Part III. Interpreting the World • 137
            Language and Freedom • 139
            Psychology and Ideology • 157
            Equality: Language Development, Human Intelligence, and Social Organization • 183

Part IV. The United States and the World • 203
       The Cold War • 205
            The Old and the New Cold War • 207
       At War with Asia • 221
          The American Invasion of South Vietnam • 221
            Afghanistan and South Vietnam • 223
            Vietnam and United States Global Strategy • 227
          Waging the War • 257
            After "Pinkville" • 259
            Laos • 265
            The Mentality of the Backroom Boys • 269
            Cambodia • 289
            Punishing Vietnam • 299
            East Timor • 303
       Central America • 313
            Intervention in Vietnam and Central America: Parallels and Differences • 315
            El Salvador • 339
            Nicaragua • 351
            Guatemala • 363
       The Middle East • 369
            Rejectionism and Accomodation • 371

Notes • 407

Index • 481