An excerpt from Noam Chomsky's new book, and an interview with editor and coauthor Nathan J. Robinson on countering the threat of Trumpism and the way forward for the left
I'm 72 years old and a long-time Star Trek fan. Although the original series can only be watched now by diehards (overacting and silly special effects by today's standards) the stories are worth revisiting. The Prime Directive was a compelling plot line. The Prime Directive prohibited Starfleet members from interfering with the natural development of alien civilizations. Captain Kirk, and other Starfleet captains over the years, violated the Prime Directive and there were interesting discussions about how and why. But in the end, the decisions to violate the Directive were based on a presumptive moral imperative as seen by the captain. I don't believe that violence solves any core problems. It may save innocent lives, but it doesn't solve the problems at the core of the violence. There are too many men that see violence as a way to achieve their goals, and their right to do so. The US is a young country and is still very immature; we need to grow up. I was very pleased to see President Biden apologize for Federal Indigenous Boarding Schools and how Indigenous Peoples were treated. We also need to apologize for the genocide of those same people that the US military engaged in.
NOAM CHOMSKY is my heroe!!! What a beautiful brilliant mind.
I'm 72 years old and a long-time Star Trek fan. Although the original series can only be watched now by diehards (overacting and silly special effects by today's standards) the stories are worth revisiting. The Prime Directive was a compelling plot line. The Prime Directive prohibited Starfleet members from interfering with the natural development of alien civilizations. Captain Kirk, and other Starfleet captains over the years, violated the Prime Directive and there were interesting discussions about how and why. But in the end, the decisions to violate the Directive were based on a presumptive moral imperative as seen by the captain. I don't believe that violence solves any core problems. It may save innocent lives, but it doesn't solve the problems at the core of the violence. There are too many men that see violence as a way to achieve their goals, and their right to do so. The US is a young country and is still very immature; we need to grow up. I was very pleased to see President Biden apologize for Federal Indigenous Boarding Schools and how Indigenous Peoples were treated. We also need to apologize for the genocide of those same people that the US military engaged in.