Term Paper on "Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views"

Term Paper 10 pages (3517 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Chomsky

The linguist Noam Chomsky views the government of the United States as a terrorist state for a number of reasons. According to the author, the only difference between a coercive diplomacy and terrorism is the power of the entity threatening force (Chomsky, 9-11, 13). In his book, 9-11, Chomsky furthermore defines an act of terrorism from the point-of-view of the United States as an activity that (a) involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State; and (B) appears to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping." (Chomsky 16)

Chomsky furthermore draws his readers' attention to the official statement of the U.S. To "low-intensity warfare." Once again, the definition of this is very close to the definition of terrorism as set out in army manuals. Terrorism has as its aim the coercion of civilian populations for political, religious, or other kinds of purposes. Of course the attack on the World Trade Center fits this definition, being an attack with both political and religious connotations (Chomsky 57). Terrorism is further defined officially as part of state action and official doctrine, which is uncomfortably reminiscent of the official policies regarding the war on terrorism.

In the same work, as in many others, Chomsky refers to the United States as a "leading terrorist state (Chomsky

Continue scrolling to

download full paper ⤓

23) in relation to the rest of the world. One of the manifestations of this is the condemnation of the country by the World Court for its "unlawful use of force." Indeed, there are many examples in the violent history of the United States to substantiate the view that its use of force is adjacent to that of a terrorist organization.

Examples such as Vietnam are supplemented by the violent history of the U.S. At war even with itself. Its tendency towards force to solve its problem has translated into the present situation with Iraq and the President's "war on terrorism," which has become an act of terrorism in itself. Other examples are numerous. In the 1980s for example, Nicaragua was all but destroyed by a violent assault from the U.S. Chomsky cites the reaction of the small country - going to court - as the correct procedure in response to a terrorist attack (Chomsky 26). What the U.S. is doing in terms of Iraq is far beyond logical and civilized behavior. Instead the country is answering in kind a terrorist attack that is illogical and unsubstantiated in international politics.

Chomsky furthermore accuses the media of perpetuating the tendency towards violence as a resolution for political conflict. When political crises such as 9/11 ensue, it is, according to Chomsky (9-11, 30), the typical reaction of the media and other intellectual entities to support the powers that be. Indeed, the country is in a vulnerable state and its populace is easy to control and influence. Thus, the principles of freedom and democracy are used to suppress not only those perceived as terrorists, but even the citizens of the United States themselves.

Many atrocities have been committed against the citizens of the United States. Not the least of these is the freedom and democracy so highly prized by the media and those in power. In fact, very few of these qualities remain in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks. Atrocities committed against the average American include being searched at random at airports, being discriminated against on the basis of no more than race and religion, and even being incarcerated for the same reason. All this is in the name of media-imposed ideals of cherished values such as freedom and tolerance. And the average American is willing to take this abuse in the name of the same ideals.

The cycle of violence is thus escalating not only abroad, but also locally, not only in the obvious ways mentioned above, but also in more subtle ways. Militarization has for example been used as a disguise for human rights abuses throughout the United States. Social democratic programs, as well as other concerns such as corporate globalization, environmental issues, health ensurance, and other important problems and issues are being ignored in favor of the "war on terrorism." This undermines the very way of life the American government claims to be defending. According to Chomsky, it appears that the government is prone to violence and striking out at its enemies regardless of the suffering caused to the innocent. This of course is one of the main characteristics of war. It is especially so of the American way of war, as can be seen from evidence such as Vietnam and other countries oppressed by the U.S. All this is done in the name of the United States as "innocent victim" (Chomsky, 9-11, 35). Chomsky draws attention to the past actions of the United States, hardly showing the country as either innocent or victimized.

In 1965 for example, Indonesia was taken by a U.S.-backed army, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, which included mostly landless peasants. Chomsky's case is proven with the reaction of the West, which was unmitigated euphoria (Chomsky 67). Chomsky correctly points out that the peasants were neither armed nor harmful in any other way, and that their slaughter was comparable in kind to the crime sof Hitler, Stalin and Mao. Still, the victory was lauded as a great success accomplished through much clever planning and military prowess. To convince the masses of this, the government has a very powerful ally in the press.

Propaganda has always played a large role in waging terrible and oppressive wars. World War I is a prime example of this. Thousands of young troops were swept along in an exuberant quest for self- and general destruction (Chomsky 69).

Thus, propaganda is also used in order to further the terrorist practices of the United States. The propaganda promoted by the American press is thus used by the government and others in power to cultivate a false belief system in order to benefit the government. This is typical behavior related to terrorist states. Propaganda is used in states in order to convince the masses of false beliefs and to force them to act according to these beliefs. This is exactly what is happening in the United States. The government uses propaganda to license whatever actions it deems necessary to further its own cause and its own search for power. Innocent persons being hurt in the process are written off as "casualties of war."

Another example of such "casualties" occurred in the 1980s, with the U.S. involvement in Central America. The scale of the massacre was immense: some 200,000 persons were tortured, mutilated and murdered, with millions of orphans and refugees whose homes and lives were destroyed (Chomsky, 9-11, 79). One of the main targets during these events was the Catholic Church, whose preferential option for the poor was beyond the American comprehension.

Another very prominent victim of the United States and its power is the unfortunate country of Vietnam. The aim of the United States here was to gain as much power as possible by means of colonization. According to Chomsky in his interview with Barsamian (57), the U.S. had as its major end in Vietnam was to colonize and to dominate and most of all to keep the country from establishing its own autonomy and power. The government's attitude towards the devastation is neutral and self-righteous, with the premise that all that has been done was in the interest of humanity and humanitarian rights. This argument is especially poignant and at the same time heinous when used in conjunction with the defense of precious "American Values."

It is then the "wanton killing of innocent civilians," as Chomsky (76) terms it, that the author uses as the central premise for his belief that the government of the United States is essentially terrorist in nature. The United States' terrorist activities do not however remain on an individual level. They are also closely connected in arms deals and the like with countries known for their own terrorist dealings.

A case in point is the 1990s, during which Turkey received 80% of its arms from the U.S., in order to launch its counterinsurgency campaign (Chomsky 86). Once again the result was every possible atrocity against human life, freedom and dignity - all ideals promoted by the U.S. government as still existing within its borders. According to Chomsky, tens of thousands were killed during the campaign, while 203 million were driven from their homes, and 3,500 villages destroyed. The increase of arms provision continued from 1984-1999 in Turkey, after which it declined as a result of the campaign reaching its goal and coming to… READ MORE

Download Full Paper

Write a New Paper for Me

Quoted Instructions for "Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views" Assignment:

“

Noam Chomsky views the United States, or rather its government, as a "terrorist state". Why does he take this position? Do you agree or disagree with it? I want an agreement essay.

A number of important but simple things are expected of a good quality essay in this course:

1. You need to directly address the question set, not one you wish had been set. This is a very common error, especially failing to tackle the question head on until the final paragraph. I strongly recommend mentioning in your first, introductory paragraph what your argument will be in the essay.

2. This may sound pretty basic, but for those of you who have relatively little experience writing essays, they should have an identifiable beginning, middle and end! Start with a clear, concise introduction, in which you make clear what you are going to argue in the main body of the essay. In the main body, elaborate on your initial position using clear and well-reasoned argumentation. Finally, your conclusion should sum things up and perhaps speculate on some other issues relevant to the one addressed in the question.

3. My job as the instructor is to remain ‘neutral’ between the various theories/positions discussed in the class. Consequently, it does not matter a jot whether I or anyone else agrees with the argument expressed in your essay. What does matter is whether you have used evidence well, whether you know what evidence is appropriate to making the argument you have selected and whether you have backed up your case with readings and other information relevant to the question set. You can certainly allude to personal experiences you have had which you think are directly relevant to the answer (eg military service, work for an international charity and so on), but for the most part in an academic essay you should avoid personalized terms like “I really think that” or “it’s obvious to me that” in favor of terms like “it has been found that” or “there is considerable evidence that” (which sound more social scientific). Also avoid suggesting that other views are just plain “dumn”, “stupid” or worse! In addition, you should avoid the use of colloquialisms like "don't" or "can't" or "it's"; instead, use "do not", "cannot", "it is" and so on.

4. Although you should of course cite books and articles and online materials we have read for class, you need to show evidence of having gone beyond the material set on the syllabus – especially of having gone to the UCF Library and/or done an online search for relevant books and articles. To start you off, you will find useful citations in the endnotes of the various Chapters of the Callahan textbook. You should cite at least 5 or 6 sources (books and/or articles) in a good essay. You can of course cite internet sources, but should not rely exclusively on these.

5. The exact citation format of your essay does not matter – you can use footnotes, endnotes or a bibliography. However, you must include page numbers with any quotes you use that will enable the instructor to locate the material you used. It is fine to use websites as sources as long as you reproduce the full address that will take the instructor directly to the source (eg http://www.blahblah.com/nonsense).

How to Reference "Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views" Term Paper in a Bibliography

“Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2005, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.

Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views (2005). Retrieved from https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264

A1-TermPaper.com. (2005). Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views. [online] Available at: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264 [Accessed 5 Oct, 2024].

”Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views” 2005. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264.

”Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views” A1-TermPaper.com, Last modified 2024. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264.

[1] ”Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2005. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264. [Accessed: 5-Oct-2024].

1. Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views [Internet]. A1-TermPaper.com. 2005 [cited 5 October 2024]. Available from: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264

1. Chomsky the Linguist Noam Chomsky Views. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chomsky-linguist-noam/33264. Published 2005. Accessed October 5, 2024.

Related Term Papers: