It's been about 15 years since I've read much Chomsky, and I was curious what my reaction would be. Overall, the horrors of the Bush administration, especially the Iraq war, made Chomsky's portrayal of US foreign policy, as imperialistic and brutal, far more convincing. In other words, while my knowledge of the countries mentioned here is limited, there's no doubt that Chomsky's characterization applies to the invasion and occupation of Iraq.Quote:In recent years, the United States has taken or backed actions in Colombia, Central America, Panama, Sudan, and Turkey, to name only a few, that meet official US. definitions of "terrorism" -- or worse -- that is, when Americans apply the term to enemies. As Chomsky argues, brutal foreign policy explains "Why do they hate us?" After the 9/11 attacks, I read bin Laden's speech describing his motivations. His main complaints were about US troops in Saudi Arabia, US support of Israel, and sanctions against Iraq. Interestingly, leftists like Chomsky opposed those US actions on moral grounds, and had the government listened the 9/11 terrorism wouldn't have occurred.When people on the left brought up these issues following 9/11, the response from the right was ferocious. People mentioning US foreign policies were labeled the "blame America first" crowd and vilified in a time of extreme patriotic attitudes. Keep that in mind when considering the views of the American public. Edited by: JulianTheApostate at: 7/31/07 8:11 am