interviewing mr chomsky tomorrow - any advice?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

any suggestions for topics i should consider adding to my list?

[MrScorpio]

1. Relax

It's Chomsky!

[FuzzySlippers]

2. Wow!! How'd you get that gig?

No suggestions, but he seems like a very nice man. It should be a pleasant experience.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

3. a friend put me in touch

YOU HAVE TO BOOK A WAYS IN ADVANCE, BUT HE'S PRETTY COOL W/ DOING STUff for small publications

(caps lock isnt getting fixed - i'm lazy tonight)

[Room101]

4. Please ask a question regarding Empire's

During the 80’s the Soviet Union was constantly called an Empire.
How wide spread (numbers wise) was the Soviet Union’s Military presence at the height of their power throughout the world?

How does that worldwide Military presence compare with the current American Empire?
Chalmers Johnson said according to our own defense department there are at least 725 American military bases in existence outside the United States.

Also what caused the demise of former Empires (Persian, Roman)?
Does he see any similarities with our Empire?

Please let us know how it went!

[Moochy]

5. visit the Wiki site on him, there are some good discussions

Check out the Chomsky criticisms page on wiki to get a sense of his detractors. Many if not most are arguing from moralist stance on him. I was just looking over the page, and it was interesting reading to me. I'm sure you'll get some ideas about non-inflammatory ways to get at the core of the controversy. His defense of Faurisson is a seriously hot topic for chomsky-haters.

I like what I've read of Chomsky's major political books, Manufacturing consent, and a few others, and consider him to have a unique voice.

Ask him about his recent (post 2000?) change of view on Israel and Palestine, and how he recently came to believe in the wisdom of a 2-state solution, over his previous views on israel/palestine as requiring a one-state solution.

[Room101]

9. Support of Faurisson??? WTF, He Supported his right

not to be put in jail for his views. I loath the KKK but I will defend their right of speech.
Does that mean I supprt the KKK?

These Haters have never produced actual words of Chomsky supporting the views of Faurisson.
Chomsky defended his right of speech! Two different animals.

[Moochy]

12. Guilt by association

The same dishonesty allows for republicans to claim democrats got money from AGENTS of Abramoff. (ie. Indian tribes)

There were some NPOV (Neutral Point of View) descriptions of the arguments against him.
I was interested in his evolving view on Israel / Palestine, and how he's changed in the past few years.

Paraphrasing Chomsky: (I think)

If you don't beleive in free speech for those you hate, you dont beleive in free speech.

[Fredda Weinberg]

6. The relationship between language and attitudes

Going back to the field in which he made his fame, he found common elements of language that allowed simple systems to extract semantic meaning from symbols. Now that he's more politically involved, does he see that meanings carry more than their definitions, that code words can evoke emotions that convey more than intellectual content?

I had a pleasant argument with him once and he was very gracious. If I had the chance, I'd pursue this line of questioning in the hopes that he could use meta-language to unite those of us who seek progress without conformity.

On edit ... please ask him to comment on my sig line.

[aclog]

13. Fredda are you simplifying your argument here

because I can't imagine Chomsky, or anybody really, disagreeing with that premise...

As for your hope regarding progress without conformity...ummm, I'll settle for survival without conformity lol

[Fredda Weinberg]

15. I'm fascinated by Chomsky's work in AI

My master's thesis will incorporate his theory of language acquisition, but there issues beyond manipulating symbols, which I tried to express. Here's an article with some more developed ideas

http://ai-depot.com/Essay/Trickster-Thought.html

[aclog]

17. OK thats kinda where I felt you were going with it

although its a touch beyond me I think

thanks for the interesting link :)

[Telly Savalas]

7. Ask him if he knew that Jerome Bettis was from Detroit

[CanuckAmok]

8. Ask him if he's expanded his study of popular music.

Someone from RATM interviewed Noam Chomsky a few years ago, and closed the interview by asking him his favourite rock band.

Chomsky replied that he wasn't sure if he'd ever heard any. He thinks he may have heard the Beatles, "you know, when the kids were still at home", but he's not sure. I think his final answer was "Mozart".

[specimenfred1984]

10. Will Americans Be Put Into Camps?

if a "pandemic" occurs or if fascism just takes hold and decides to grab everyone it can.

[WCGreen]

11. Ask him if he knows if Britney Spears is pregnant again...

[TheBaldyMan]

14. what's his next book about ?

[LSK]

16. tell him the brazilian joke

:bounce:

[Throd]

18. Ask him if he ever tried to sneak out a fart...

...and accidentally got a mud bubble.