Noam Chomsky denounces old friend Hugo Chávez for 'assault' on democracy

[Bacchus39]

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Speaking to the Observer last week, Chomsky has accused the socialist leader of amassing too much power and of making an "assault" on Venezuela's democracy.

"Concentration of executive power, unless it's very temporary and for specific circumstances, such as fighting world war two, is an assault on democracy. You can debate whether circumstances require it: internal circumstances and the external threat of attack, that's a legitimate debate. But my own judgment in that debate is that it does not."

Chomsky, a linguistics professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, spoke on the eve of publishing an open letter (see below) that accuses Venezuela's authorities of "cruelty" in the case of a jailed judge.
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Amnesty International and the European parliament, among others, have condemned the judge's treatment but the intervention of a scholar considered a friend of the Bolivarian revolution, which is named after the hero of Venezuelan independence, Simón Bolívar, is likely to sting even more.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/03/noam-chomsky-hugo-chavez-democracy

[naaman fletcher]

1. It's unfortunate

that so many who claim to want to share views refuse to comment on this story. I would like to hear what they think.

[joshcryer]

2. I think it's refreshing that Chomsky is finally being critical of "not the USA."

This is a person who wrote some really amazing stuff in his earlier years, and supposedly holds those same views, but writes heavily biased against the USA without actually giving a clear opinion or taking a stance on a given situation outside of the USA.

I want more, I would love more, it would make me so happy for him to just start taking stances again.

[EFerrari]

3. Noam Chomsky: The Guardian/Observer version, as I anticipated, is quite deceptive.

From: "Noam Chomsky" [e-mail]
Date: 3 July 2011 03:42:52 GMT+01:00
To: "'Alek Boyd'" [e-mail]
Subject: RE: Re Noam Chomsky denounces old friend Hugo Chávez for 'assault' on democracy | World news | The Observer
Reply-To: [e-mail]

There is no change of heart, sudden or otherwise. The Guardian/Observer version, as I anticipated, is quite deceptive. The report in the NY Times is considerably more honest. Both however omit much of relevance that I stressed throughout, including the fact that criticisms from the US government or anyone who supports its actions can hardly be taken seriously, considering Washington’s far worse record without any of the real concerns that Venezuela faces, the Manning case for one, which is much worse than Judge Afiuni’s. And much else.

Update: my exchange with Chomsky continued, in his other reply he reiterated the "extreme dishonesty" of The Guardian. For once, I find myself in agreement with the famous linguist...

http://alekboyd.blogspot.com/2011/07/noam-chomsky-afiuni-guardian-is-quite.html

And Judi Lynn can now say "I told you so" because she recognized this for bs as soon as she read the by line.

[Bacchus39]

4. nope, just read the open letter Chomsky sent in the OP. link and the interview itself

he is criticizing Chavez. we know you never will.

[EFerrari]

5. What do you mean, nope? Chomsky said The Guardian piece is bs.

And it isn't the first time he's had an issue with The Guardian who uses him like this at their convenience. Like some posters to this board.

lol

[ChangoLoa]

6. Then, instead of concentrating on the Guardian, let's consider Chomsky's letter to Chavez

Here you go, it's in Spanish (and, if you like, read the comments of our dear progressive chavistas too)

http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/Noticias/Actualidad/Politica/Chomsky-pide-libertad-de-Afiuni.aspx

[EFerrari]

9. I've read it. And I have zero problem with Chomsky having that conversation.

[joshcryer]

11. So you have zero problem with Chomsky denouncing Chavez's government's "assault on democracy."

Nice to see a stand being taken.

[Bacchus39]

7. sounds like he has an issue with the treatment of the judge and the consolidation

of power in Venezuela too. but you don't want to talk about that. I really wouldn't expect Chomsky to go too far in his criticism of Chavez but at least he criticizes Chavez for those thing. don't you???

[EFerrari]

8. Chomsky is lobbying to have the judge released.

That's perfectly legitimate if that is his view. And has nothing to do with denunciation or any of the other bs that Rory "Carroll" has become known for, or that people who have an irrational hatred of Chavez jump on.

Chomsky, in addition to being brilliant, it a cultured man. No one who knows him could possibly believe he'd issue a personal attack on Hugo Chavez as the latter recovers from cancer surgery.

[joshcryer]

13. I have a feeling a lot of people don't know what the word "denounce" means.

So many people are taking it generally, which of course is how the MSM has been known to regularly use it, but in this context (and in the context that I've used it) it's very specific.

No he didn't generally denounce Chavez. But he most certainly denounced Venezuela's executive power's "assault on democracy." And Chomsky should admit that calling it a "denouncement" is accurate, being a linguist and all.

[joshcryer]

10. He agreed with the NYT article which was much more balanced and still showed his criticism.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Interesting. Figures. Here's what Chomsky wrote to Joe Emersberger,

from a post by Emersberger:

Here's what I'll be posting as a Znet blog post when it is up again
Posted by emersberger on July 3, 2011, 5:26 pm, in reply to "Chomsky on Guardian/Observer "deceptive" version"

~snip~
There was no missing the glee with which Rory Carroll reported in the UK Guardian that "speaking to the Observer last week, Chomsky has accused the socialist leader of amassing too much power and of making an 'assault' on Venezuela's democracy."

~snip~
The article closed with an open letter Chomsky wrote to Chavez asking for clemency in the case of Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, who (under house arrest since January, 2011) had been in prison since 2009 facing corruption charges.

This is not the first time Rory Carroll has taken a highly selective interest in Chomsky's views on Latin America. When Chomsky signed an open letter in 2008 critical of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, Rory Carroll also jumped all over it. At about the same time, Chomsky signed an open letter to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe about far more grave matters but it was ignored by the Guardian. At the tie, I asked Rory Carroll and his editors why they ignored it but they never replied to me. They also ignored an open letter to Uribe signed by Amnesty International, Human Rights watch and various other groups. I asked Carroll and his editors why that open letter was ignored and - as usual - no one responded.<1>

There is clearly good reason not to trust Rory Carroll or the Guardian in their reporting about Venezuela, so I contacted Chomsky by email and asked him the following questions. His replies are below.

More:
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1309710400.html

(My emphasis)

[EFerrari]

14. This story is one for my coffee table book of fake stories about Chavez.

:)

[Judi Lynn]

15. You may need to get a book extender. These guys are rarin' to go, having been forced to wait

helplessly on the sidelines the last couple of weeks. We may be seeing TONS of new wild and wooley ones in the next few months.

As it is, we've seen some strange attempts made in the interim, like "Chavez really isn't sick," and the always popular "he went to Cuba because he's afraid of Venezuelan doctors," etc. I'm voting right now for the always popular "He's pretending to be sick."

Poor overfocused "Hey, we're legitimate journalists" writers really NEED to get out more, don't they?

[EFerrari]

16. Sludge already claimed he was dead.

Anything after that is just gravy. lol :)

[Judi Lynn]

17. You're kidding! That's a spectacular act of desperation. Wow.

That's why he has the reputation he has, and the kind of readers he gets.

[ChangoLoa]

18. Interesting to compare this with El Universal's article

As an example of the misjudgment of some posters here concerning the old Venezuelan centrist newspaper which is certainly and openly opposed to Chavez's policies but not fanatically nor virulently anti-Chavez, as many US or UK newspapers are. I have never liked it much but I still think it is a better source of information on Venezuela than other newspapers written in English.


Noam Chomsky calls for release of Judge Afiuni
He said that he is still a friend of the Bolivarian revolution

US scholar Noam Chomsky, who is ideologically close to President Hugo Chávez, sent a public letter asking the Venezuelan head of State to release Judge María Lourdes Afiuni from house arrest. The information was published by The New York Times after a mediation between The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, the philosopher and top government officials.

Leonardo Vivas, the coordinator of the Latin American initiative at the Carr Center, said Chomsky had accepted the center's invitation to act as a mediator. The US newspaper further highlighted that the linguist sympathized with Afiuni from the beginning of the negotiation. "The dramatic erosion of her health and the cruelty displayed against her, all duly documented, left me greatly worried."

The American linguist denied the version published by British newspaper The Guardian according to which he has "separated from" the Bolivarian Revolution and he had accused the socialist leader of "assault on Venezuela's democracy."

More:
http://english.eluniversal.com/2011/07/04/noam-chomsky-calls-for-release-of-judge-afiuni.shtml

[EFerrari]

19. I'm glad you posted this.

Imo, it's useful to read these reports comparitively.

[joshcryer]

20. Noam Chomsky on Venezuela – the transcript

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/04/noam-chomsky-venezuela

I see why he's pissed. He expected the full transcript to be posted and not editorialized.

It has even more juicy bits that the original author left out completely.

RC: You have been described as an anarchist libertarian. From that perspective what's your take on the enabling laws and the evolution of executive power in Venezuela?

NC: I am opposed to the accumulation of executive power anywhere. One would have to ask whether there is justification for them in terms of the security situation and the attacks on Venezuela. I personally don't think so. But that would be the one consideration that I could think of that would ameliorate it.


RC: So that does mean you think the enabling powers are unjustified?

NC: In my view they are not justified. I can see room for debate about it but my judgment in that debate is that the arguments in favour are not persuasive.