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By Noam Chomsky and Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
Posted on May 11, 2011, Printed on May 17, 2011
http://www.alternet.org/story/150907
/noam_chomsky%3A_%27the_u.s._and_its_allies_will_do_anything_to_prevent_democracy_in_the_arab_world%27
Speaking at the 25th anniversary celebration of the national
media watch group Fairness and
Accuracy in Reporting, world-renowned political dissident and
linguist Noam Chomsky analyzes the
U.S. response to the popular uprisings sweeping the Middle East
and North Africa. "Across the
[Middle East], an overwhelming majority of the population
regards the United States as the main
threat to their interests," Chomsky says. "The reason is very
simple... Plainly, the U.S. and its allies
are not going to want governments which are responsive to the
will of the people. If that happens,
not only will the U.S. not control the region, but it will be
thrown out."
AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to the 25th anniversary of FAIR,
Fairness and Accuracy in
Reporting, the media watch group in New York, which just
celebrated the 25 years of the reports
theyve come out, documenting media bias and censorship, and
scrutinized media practices that
marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting
viewpoints.
One of those who addressed the hundreds of people who gathered
to celebrate FAIR was the world-
renowned political dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky. This is
some of what he had to say.
NOAM CHOMSKY: The U.S. and its allies will do anything they can
to prevent
authentic democracy in the Arab world. The reason is very
simple. Across the region, an
overwhelming majority of the population regards the United
States as the main threat to
their interests. In fact, opposition to U.S. policy is so high
that a considerable majority
think the region would be more secure if Iran had nuclear
weapons. In Egypt, the most
important country, thats 80 percent. Similar figures elsewhere.
There are some in the
region who regard Iran as a threatabout 10 percent. Well,
plainly, the U.S. and itsallies are not going to want governments
which are responsive to the will of the people.
If that happens, not only will the U.S. not control the region,
but it will be thrown out. So
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On the other hand, the Timeswasnt lying when they said that it
led to the regions
stability. And the reason is because of the meaning of the word
"stability" as a technical
meaning. Stability isits kind of like democracy. Stability means
conformity to our
interests. So, for example, when Iran tries to expand its
influence in Afghanistan andIraq, neighboring countries, thats
called "destabilizing." Its part of the threat of Iran.
Its destabilizing the region. On the other hand, when the U.S.
invades those countries,
occupies them, half destroys them, thats to achieve stability.
And that is very common,
even to the point where its possible to writeformer editor
ofForeign Affairsthat
when the U.S. overthrew the democratic government in Chile and
instituted a vicious
dictatorship, that was because the U.S. had to destabilize Chile
to achieve stability.
Thats in one sentence, and nobody noticed it, because thats
correct, if you understand
the meaning of the word "stability." Yeah, you overthrow a
parliamentary government,you install a dictatorship, you invade a
country and kill 20,000 people, you invade Iraq
and kill hundreds of thousands of peoplethats all bringing about
stability. Instability is
when anyone gets in the way.
AMY GOODMAN: World-renowned political dissident and linguist,
Noam Chomsky, speaking at
the 25th anniversary of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting.
Amy Goodman is the host of the nationally syndicated radio news
program, Democracy Now!.
2011 Democracy Now! All rights reserved.
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to Prevent Democracy in the Ara...
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