i only saw part of it. chomsky tried to rip him apart. while peter's right that Zahn (what IS the scoop with Greta's facelift?) did him the favor of quoting where he says that "nothing justifies" 9-11, she really pissed all over him when she interrupted him so that he couldn't correct Bennettbarf.
I'll channel my mother here and give you what I know will be her response: chomsky did not look good, save for the part where he did what he does well, show how Bennettbarf clearly lied about what he's said. Bennettbarf insisted that Chomsky was trying to justify the attacks. Chomsky simply pointed to his quote.
Nonetheless, Bennettbarf was all self righteous and went on and on about how great America was and how Chomsky was a Hate America Firster. For Bennettbarf, because Chomsky doesn't do enough bowing at the Altar of America before he launches into his critique of US foreign policy.
Now, y'all can go on about how America sucks, but it just doesn't play well in Peoria if that's the only thing you can say about the US. Why do people come to the US, Bennettbarf asks, if it is so horrible. Why, hell, we bailed Europe out twice in the last century and we saved eastern Europe from the communist evildoers. what is your problem, Noam buddy, if you can't talk about that too?!
Chomsky's response is lame. People want to hear him say and mean it: I live in the greatest country on the planet. they want to hear him say, I love this country so fucking much that I want us to do better. I love the people in this country. I know we're a compassionate people. I know we want freedom and equality and peace. And I want our nation state to do what i know American people stand for because I know they don't stand for death, destruction, and terror.
Now, I don't know if Chomsky is capable of that. Are any of us capable of saying the above and meaning it? Do you want to criticize the US because you think the US is a nation of good and decent people, etc? I think that, on some left principles, it is anathema to say that. I think Chuck described it as selling out or something.
beats me.
kelley