Comparing and Contrasting Political Ideologies: Robert Kaplan vs. Noam Chomsky
CGW4U
Isabel Juergensen
Mr. Neufeld
27/10/13
Comparing and Contrasting Political Ideologies
Robert Kaplan vs. Noam Chomsky
1. Chomsky Thesis Outline: The main points within Noam Chomsky 's thesis revolve around his idealistic values and his concept of ' 'Elemental Morality ' '. When describing his concept of ' 'Elemental Morality ' ' Chomsky explains that if people cannot rise to the level that has them apply the same standards to themselves that they apply to others, they have no right to talk about what 's right and wrong. A common example of this hypocrisy has been executed by the United States-whom Chomsky claims to be a ' ' leading terrorist state ' '- in an attempt to justify their country’s terrorist acts. In other words, when they do it it 's terrorism, but when we do it its counterterrorism. When looking at the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the war aims were claimed to be to overthrow the country 's brutal dictator Saddam Hussein, in which they succeeded. The U.S. has a history of using the fight for democracy as a justification for overthrowing regimes. However, Chomsky argues that the best way to overthrow power centers and brutal regimes is to do so from within with support of internal democratic organizations. Ironically the very regimes that are being fought against have commonly been found to have support from the U.S.: South Eastern Turkey (the Kurds), Nicaragua in the 1980s, Israel, and Afghanistan during the 1980s to name a few. In Chomsky 's eyes all of these atrocities are all equally immoral simply because they are all atrocities. Chomsky explains that if we want to stop comparing atrocities, the easiest way is to stop participating in them and try to find other ways to deal with them. As a result, as long as people are able to think for themselves and free themselves from 'the right wing imperialists ', then they can pose the same elementary morality, levels of violence and
Isabel Juergensen
Mr. Neufeld
27/10/13
Comparing and Contrasting Political Ideologies
Robert Kaplan vs. Noam Chomsky
1. Chomsky Thesis Outline: The main points within Noam Chomsky 's thesis revolve around his idealistic values and his concept of ' 'Elemental Morality ' '. When describing his concept of ' 'Elemental Morality ' ' Chomsky explains that if people cannot rise to the level that has them apply the same standards to themselves that they apply to others, they have no right to talk about what 's right and wrong. A common example of this hypocrisy has been executed by the United States-whom Chomsky claims to be a ' ' leading terrorist state ' '- in an attempt to justify their country’s terrorist acts. In other words, when they do it it 's terrorism, but when we do it its counterterrorism. When looking at the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the war aims were claimed to be to overthrow the country 's brutal dictator Saddam Hussein, in which they succeeded. The U.S. has a history of using the fight for democracy as a justification for overthrowing regimes. However, Chomsky argues that the best way to overthrow power centers and brutal regimes is to do so from within with support of internal democratic organizations. Ironically the very regimes that are being fought against have commonly been found to have support from the U.S.: South Eastern Turkey (the Kurds), Nicaragua in the 1980s, Israel, and Afghanistan during the 1980s to name a few. In Chomsky 's eyes all of these atrocities are all equally immoral simply because they are all atrocities. Chomsky explains that if we want to stop comparing atrocities, the easiest way is to stop participating in them and try to find other ways to deal with them. As a result, as long as people are able to think for themselves and free themselves from 'the right wing imperialists ', then they can pose the same elementary morality, levels of violence and
Bibliography: Chomsky, Noam. 9-11. New York: Seven Stories, 2001. 40-55. Print. Kaplan, Robert D. "Interventionism 's Realistic Future." Washington Post (2006): 1-2. Print Mendes, Errol. "The Cost of Non-intervention in Syria." The Cost of Non-intervention in Syria. Ottawa Citizen, 26 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. ""The Reasons for My Concern"" Interview by Celia Jakubowicz. Noam Chomsky and U.S. Foreign Policy. Third World Traveller, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. .