Chomsky on Ron Paul

Chomsky on Ron Paul

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Ron Paul comes across as honest, sincere, rational and has a sense of humour .. he is willing to say America has done bad things and should mind it’s own business, he doesn’t believe Iran is building nukes and understands that the hype is contrived. What’s not to like?

Well here are some critiques:

Chomsky on Ron Paul.
In Defense of Ron Paul. A Reply to Noam Chomsky.
Ralph Nader on Ron Paul.

 

We should never depend on politicians like Paul or anyone else. However I like Paul because I recognise his sincerity. He is in the Republican party because it is the only way to get elected; he is really Fringe. After losing the candidacy in 2008 he refused to endorse McCain and instead supported positions, held by fringe candidates, which coincided with principles he considered axiomatic. This is why many on the principled Left respect him despite their differences. This video is very interesting:

 

Chomsky and Paxman

Chomsky and Paxman

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Chomsky would be a witness for the prosecution in a war crimes case against Bush, Blair, Obama et al. He has been a consistent voice against the consensus view that America is a force for good rather than an instigator of many evils. The interviewer is Jeremy Paxman who seems to be a consistent defender of the consensus view.

Libyan Crisis Documentary

Libyan Crisis Documentary

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Source: Global Civilians for Peace.

 

Anyone interested in the facts behind the Libyan intervention should watch this short and well structured documentary. In essence the documentary argues that the initiators of violence and main perpetrators of humanitarian abuses were the Rebels. Media reports were contrived to present a false picture of the Libyan government murdering civilians.

It is interesting and disturbing that the arguments against the intervention appear rational and well researched while those supporting the action of NATO and their Arab allies appear based on the premise that ‘Gaddafi was a dirtbag’ .. case in point Jon Steward in this nauseating piece:

 

Gaddafi Legend

Gaddafi Legend

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It occurred to me today that there were parallels between the Gaddafi legend and what I remember of the story of Paul Muad’dib in Frank Herbert’s novels, Dune and Dune Messiah. Wondering if this thought had occurred to anyone else I googled ‘Muad’dib and Gaddafi’ and sure enough others had made the connection (the Internet is truly amazing ), someone had even gone to the trouble of making a video:

 

!!! Muad’Dib Al Gaddafi !!! from UN_ilateral on Vimeo.

 

There several others videos that present this picture of the supposed madman as a visionary hero:

 

 

 

 

Compare that with this video:

 

 

It seem beyond dispute that the NATO intervention was at best wrong headed and disproportionate in its violence and at worst a cynical and murderous corporate takeover. What is problematic however is the matter of Gaddafi’s legends and legacy. There are two competing pictures, one of Gaddafi as a kind of James Bond villain and another of him as a near Messiah. The truth may lie in some complex interweaving of the legends but which legend becomes established is important because it will have totemic value for those who are for and those who are against the US strategy for ‘full spectrum dominance‘ and the establishment of a world corporate state.

James Fetzer has written an interesting article, Reason and Rationality in Public Debate: The Case of Libya, which sets the stage for a rational assessment of Gaddafi’s legends and legacy.

Related Links:

History of Libya under Gaddafi

Saif

Saif

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Spotted this video. It’s interesting from a human point of view. There is little in the news about Libya and some suspect that this is because all is not going well as far as the TNC’s control is concerned. There are a number of vying factions and a pro Gadaffi resistance. Gadaffi’s son Saif was captured and is still held by one faction in November. What’s interesting here is his interaction with his captors; he is clearly a charismatic man who has established a rapport with the men he is speaking with. His body language, words and tone convey openness and sincerity.

Saif also appears sincere in this earlier interview where he admits that many mistakes were made by the Gaddafi regime.