Anarchist & Radical Book Club discussion
Book Club 2011 & 2012
>
[May/June] Chomsky on Anarchism - Noam Chomsky
date
newest »
![Down arrow](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/down_arrow-1e1fa5642066c151f5e0136233fce98a.gif)
First of all: excuse my English. I will try to be short.
I didn't like this book just because Chomsky moves on the dynamic that I usually call "state anarchism" or "statist anarchism". That is because, for being commendable or acceptable, he goes way too deep in the way of reformism, and the thing you reform is the thing you reinforce.
I can't see the difference between his proposals on this book and a proto-State or, directly, a socialist state.
I didn't like this book just because Chomsky moves on the dynamic that I usually call "state anarchism" or "statist anarchism". That is because, for being commendable or acceptable, he goes way too deep in the way of reformism, and the thing you reform is the thing you reinforce.
I can't see the difference between his proposals on this book and a proto-State or, directly, a socialist state.
![Tinea (pist)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1200709652p1/34523.jpg)
Thanks! Added it above.
![Ash](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_25x33-ccd24e68f4773d33a41ce08c3a34892e.png)
![Tinea (pist)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1200709652p1/34523.jpg)
![Demelza | 11 comments](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1331690714p1/190762.jpg)
![Tinea (pist)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1200709652p1/34523.jpg)
![Demelza | 11 comments](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1331690714p1/190762.jpg)
![Mark (markybizzle) | 3 comments](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1322250855p1/6881312.jpg)
Chomsky appears to be senile. Somebody drew me into an email correspondence with him a few days ago in which he claimed that he didn't have to look at any new information because he's known all the answers since he was 8 years old. He's a "lesser evil" statist, and indulges in ad hominem if he can't refute an argument. I haven't read the book but I doubt that even the best of interviewers could make Chomsky relevant to anarchism.
![Mark (markybizzle) | 3 comments](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1322250855p1/6881312.jpg)
This is still a really influential book for me but the problem with Chomsky is that he does not apply his anarchist ideas to his books on American foreign policy etc!
For May and June this group will be parsing through Noam Chomsky's ideas on authority and capitalism in his anthology Chomsky On Anarchism.
I'll post free, online texts from the book below. Help me out finding this stuff and post links in this thread!
- Preface
- Introduction
- Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship
- Language and Freedom [pdf]
- Notes on Anarchism
- The Relevance of Anarcho-Syndicalism
- Preface to Antologija Anarhizma
- Containing the Threat of Democracy
- Anarchism, Marxism, and Hope for the Future
- Goals and Visions (I think this is the right text; can someone with the book compare?)
- Anarchism, Intellectuals, and the State
- Interview with Barry Pateman [video]
- Interview with Ziga Vodovnik
Use this space to share questions about and reactions to the text, as well as any other context, links, background, history, or thoughts that seem relevant and will help us understand (or critique!) what we're reading better.