>
> > That's a pretty weak argument against Chomsky's argument. In fact Chomsky
> > wouldn't make that argument, since, as is clear to him even if not to his
> > detractors, it violates the logic of his argument. He's comparing, say,
> > WTC to Sudan, or Indonesian Coup sponsored by the US, by virtue of the
> > *lack* of coverage and/or horror that the latter two aroused in the US
> > media. AIDS, on the other hand, has met with massively much more coverage,
> > even if distorted through a host of ideological prisms that make it more
> > difficult to solve that disaster.
> >
> >
> > Steve
>
> The argument is far too absurd to be made by anyone, which was my point.
> However, I was unaware that Chomsky was making yet another attempt at media
> criticism with his comparison of 9-11 to Sudan and not trying to point out
> an equally reprehensible act.
>
> -- Luke
No, I think you misunderstand the argument Chomsky made. We're he doing what you imagined him to be doing, your use of AIDS as an argument against Chomsky would make sense.
My own suspicion is if the media had given the Bombing of the phramceutical factory the attention it merited, that point might be clearer. I don't think Chomsky is interested in whether or not x act is equally reprehensible as an act, his arguments central target was US imperialism's legacy, which has among its many accomplishments, acts that make the 9/11 horror look like the work of amateurs, bad ones at that... I mean, think of it, these guys ain't nothing like Hank K, who participated in much more horrifying atrocities than this one and almost completely escaped seriouus media scrutiny. Can ya imagine bin Laden or Saddam on McNeil & Leher talking about the problem of terrorism from the point of view of opposing terror? I mean, I haven't followed this debate y'all been having on 'intentionality,' but wow, that is a helluva coup HK pulls off there, whetehr or not he intended to off some 30,000 odd Chileans or 500,000 odd Indonesians....
Here's another interesting question worth debating as long as were at it...given the conditions that give rise to the expansion of fundamentalist terrorist organizations, is it or is it not amazing that there aren't more incidents like 9/11?