Chomsky is back, contesting official versions of history and today's news in two powerful 2-hour talks and a 45-minute interview! While each piece stands alone, they also complement one another to provide both a far-ranging view of world politics and a glimpse into Chomsky's personal political beliefs that is both entertaining and informative.
In "Imperial Grand Strategy," a lecture given at the University of Manchester, Chomsky takes on the war in Iraq. He cuts through the ideological fog that surrounds the invasion and occupation, laying waste to the U.S. government's justifications for them. In the process, he uncovers the real motivations behind U.S. military aggression: a global imperial plan put in place long before Iraq—and that will extend far into the future, unless we do something about it.
"The Assault on Freedom and Democracy," delivered at Merrimack College, moves from broad, geo-political concerns to the sort of authoritarian societies needed "on the ground" for such imperial strategies to work. Discussing the Patriot Acts (1 & 2) at home and a long and disgraceful U.S. history of "democracy-building" abroad, Chomsky highlights the vast difference between noble rhetoric and our consistent military and economic support for dictators and thugs.
The DVD ends with "Questions About Anarchism," an interview with Barry Pateman of the Emma Goldman Papers. In a more relaxed and personal exchange, Chomsky discusses the anarchist principles that have guided him since he was a teenager and that lie behind the social and political analysis he's been producing for the last four decades.