Friday, October 01, 2004
Michael Moore; Showered and Shaved
(This is a re-written/embellished version of a prior posting regarding Noam Chomsky)
If you love Michael Moore, but would like a more polished and academically refined mouthpiece to rally the hate America fad, there's a cleaner and well shaven version out there that can answer every Leftist whiner's dreams.
Those who take interest in political issues and controversy are certainly familiar with the socialist sage of MIT, Noam Chomsky. He has a passionate cult following in both Europe and the US. Anyone who hates America and the free-market in products and ideas will feel comfortable with this popular charlatan of socialist polemic. For those unfamiliar with him, there is plenty of information available supporting him and his ideals, and even a few decent rebuttals as well.
Although Chomsky is employed as a professor of Linguistics, he's one of those unique individuals who obtain considerable income from "work" as a nonstop commentator on the evils of America's existence. Like Michael Moore, he's a pro at slick mind-editing and slippery delivery of word and phrase. He would have you believe he's merely an objective open-minded observer who has weighed the evidence after freeing himself from "the system's propaganda." In every instance and issue, Chomsky's evidence always seems to come to the same conclusion however, and -- surprise -- it's the usual stale rant on the virtues of socialism and the horrors of free-market America. Although he does have the marked ability to spout off a one-sided list of stealth Leftist dogma with a cirtain finesse, the essence of his appraisal is ultimately little different than what one finds daily in college classrooms across America and Europe. For such banal tirades he's often called a genius. As for his expressed opinions regarding America's worth, anyone can say what he has said without need of particular brilliance or insight (it takes no genius to arrive at skewed conclusions). It's become a rather cliché stance among Leftists to assume that anyone who articulates their own ideals is somehow a "genius." In the case of Chomsky, this admiration often accompanies the glazed stare one usually finds in members of religious cults.
Chomsky, like John Kerry, is considered to be a champion of the poor, "oppressed," and those lowly blue-collar underlings who may see things in simpler terms. The non-enlightened among us may not be as smart as Chomsky and his followers, but hey we can come along for the ride and share the spoils when the "revolution" eventually brings utopian "justice."
Chomsky is convinced that the "corporate media" is well aligned with the forces of one-sided capitalist promotion (wow, there's a new idea!). Ironically, the incestuous world of media, publishing, and academia has made him a best seller of books, tapes, and videos. (We could perhaps use some Chomsky dolls and key chains?) He's required reading in many college classrooms, which certainly helps him get his message out. Of course, along with Michael Moore, he could just rent billboards that say, "I hate America," but then he wouldn't get to travel as much.
Admittedly, Chomsky's smart. He can weave an argument with a style that could be called dry but agile. He would no doubt attribute his success to the "truth" of what he has said, but common sense can fortunately see through intellectual sophistry. As mentioned before, there are several common sense rebuttals to the Chomsky tirade.
One of the best, and most concise overviews of the Chomsky farce can be found in George Shadroui's recent article Dissecting Chomsky and Anti-Americanism.
I won't continue what could be several hours outlining my own reasons for hating this academic snob. Suffice it to say that, if the "working class" is beneath your lofty intellectual nose, you can join the cult of Chomsky and still have time to protest between annual ski trips in Aspen.
If the unkempt manner and appearance of proletarian America bothers you, just pretend Michael Moore has showered and shaved, then follow Chomsky into the elite halls of Leftist elitism. If you're truly skeptical, read between the lines and realize that some people see through his manufactured dissent.
If you love Michael Moore, but would like a more polished and academically refined mouthpiece to rally the hate America fad, there's a cleaner and well shaven version out there that can answer every Leftist whiner's dreams.
Those who take interest in political issues and controversy are certainly familiar with the socialist sage of MIT, Noam Chomsky. He has a passionate cult following in both Europe and the US. Anyone who hates America and the free-market in products and ideas will feel comfortable with this popular charlatan of socialist polemic. For those unfamiliar with him, there is plenty of information available supporting him and his ideals, and even a few decent rebuttals as well.
Although Chomsky is employed as a professor of Linguistics, he's one of those unique individuals who obtain considerable income from "work" as a nonstop commentator on the evils of America's existence. Like Michael Moore, he's a pro at slick mind-editing and slippery delivery of word and phrase. He would have you believe he's merely an objective open-minded observer who has weighed the evidence after freeing himself from "the system's propaganda." In every instance and issue, Chomsky's evidence always seems to come to the same conclusion however, and -- surprise -- it's the usual stale rant on the virtues of socialism and the horrors of free-market America. Although he does have the marked ability to spout off a one-sided list of stealth Leftist dogma with a cirtain finesse, the essence of his appraisal is ultimately little different than what one finds daily in college classrooms across America and Europe. For such banal tirades he's often called a genius. As for his expressed opinions regarding America's worth, anyone can say what he has said without need of particular brilliance or insight (it takes no genius to arrive at skewed conclusions). It's become a rather cliché stance among Leftists to assume that anyone who articulates their own ideals is somehow a "genius." In the case of Chomsky, this admiration often accompanies the glazed stare one usually finds in members of religious cults.
Chomsky, like John Kerry, is considered to be a champion of the poor, "oppressed," and those lowly blue-collar underlings who may see things in simpler terms. The non-enlightened among us may not be as smart as Chomsky and his followers, but hey we can come along for the ride and share the spoils when the "revolution" eventually brings utopian "justice."
Chomsky is convinced that the "corporate media" is well aligned with the forces of one-sided capitalist promotion (wow, there's a new idea!). Ironically, the incestuous world of media, publishing, and academia has made him a best seller of books, tapes, and videos. (We could perhaps use some Chomsky dolls and key chains?) He's required reading in many college classrooms, which certainly helps him get his message out. Of course, along with Michael Moore, he could just rent billboards that say, "I hate America," but then he wouldn't get to travel as much.
Admittedly, Chomsky's smart. He can weave an argument with a style that could be called dry but agile. He would no doubt attribute his success to the "truth" of what he has said, but common sense can fortunately see through intellectual sophistry. As mentioned before, there are several common sense rebuttals to the Chomsky tirade.
One of the best, and most concise overviews of the Chomsky farce can be found in George Shadroui's recent article Dissecting Chomsky and Anti-Americanism.
I won't continue what could be several hours outlining my own reasons for hating this academic snob. Suffice it to say that, if the "working class" is beneath your lofty intellectual nose, you can join the cult of Chomsky and still have time to protest between annual ski trips in Aspen.
If the unkempt manner and appearance of proletarian America bothers you, just pretend Michael Moore has showered and shaved, then follow Chomsky into the elite halls of Leftist elitism. If you're truly skeptical, read between the lines and realize that some people see through his manufactured dissent.
