Forum Post: Noam Chomsky Video on Occupy Protests - reform or revolution? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se-Nq_rBQHk
Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 10, 2012, 9:30 p.m. EST by Democracy101
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See video link below
Q: "Should we be working up to a Revolution? Or can we achieve it in a different way?"
Chomsky: "We are nowhere near the limits of what Reform can carry out. I mean people can have the idea of a revolution in the back of their minds if they want.[...] But there are very substantive actions that should be taking place[...]There are very specific short-term goals that have large support. Fiscal policy, controlling financial institutions, dealing with environmental problems[...] all of these are very direct, immediate concerns. Shifting the political system so elections aren't simply bought, and so on."
Chomsky seems to be in the "reform" camp and I agree. I see the elimination of corporate money from our political and electoral system as an evolution of American democracy rather than a revolution.
What particular impetus is necessary for change?. Mr Chomsky gave rational answers and I understand his view that things will happen as they happen given the unknowable constraints of human nature.
Interestingly enough, the portrait drawn (unarguably true) about the power structure we have in place that rewards insatiable greed, is almost ineluctable. To my mind that particular juggernaut will not be stopped by mere reform.
But that's my opinion; which I think given sufficient time and resources could be turned into an argument.
"And what is good, Phaedrus, And what is not good -- Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?"
Plato via Pirsig
Are we inherently good as a species? Or are we (luckily) socialized to be so?
So to me - to make any possible meaningful reform I think we first need to stop the main forces at play who will never let us make this reform. The law that was passed by the NYC council to eliminate corporate personhood, which Chomsky alludes to in the video interview, is only symbolic legislation. To me, we somehow have to categorically change the institutions. What do you think?
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