The Chomsky Trilogy: Secrets, Lies and Democracy/the Prosperous Few and the Restless Many/What Uncle Sam Really Wants (The Real Story)

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Towards greater inequalities

Thoughtful short work

short interesting books on foreign policy and trade

Some Good Points

THE US POLICY OF AGGRESSION UNCOVERED!

The Chomsky Trilogy: Secrets, Lies and Democracy/the Prosperous Few and the Restless Many/What Uncle Sam Really Wants (The Real Story)
Noam Chomsky
Manufacturer: Odonian Press
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Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The Real Story Series is based on a simple idea--political books don't have to be boring. Short, well-written and to the point, Real Story books are meant to be read.

In these fact-filled, illusion-shattering masterpieces, the man the "New York Times" called "arguably the most important intellectual alive," explains why "what the public wants is called 'politically unrealistic.' Translated into English, that means power and privilege are opposed to it."

Normally somewhat difficult to read, Chomsky is at his most accessible in his speeches and interviews, and that's what these books are compiled from. Here are some examples of what he has to tell you:

In 1970, about 90% of international capital was used for trade and long-term investment-more or less productive things--and 10% reserved for speculation. By 1990, those figures were reversed.

Haiti, a starving island, is exporting food to the U.S.--about 35 times as much under Clinton as under Bush.

The gap between how much income is held by the richest and poorest 20? has increased dramatically over the past 30 years--about double for rich vs. poor countries and far more for rich vs. poor people.

Customer Reviews:

Towards greater inequalities.......2007-04-15

This trilogy gives a fair view of N. Chomsky's clinical vision on the US and the world.

He rightly sees the US as a business-run society, where the political parties reflect the interests of big corporations. The main aim of those corporations is higher market share and profits, not job creation or a better life for workers. An important factor in business profitability is the Pentagon and its military budget.
The powerful, the owners of those corporations, don't want to be subjected to democracy. They want an obedient, passive population of consumers and political spectators. This policy is successfully implemented through control of the media (`the general population doesn't know what's happening, and it doesn't know that it doesn't know').
The aim of US foreign policy was not to impose a democracy or respect for human rights or to increase living standards (a cardinal factor for the control of demographic tendencies). On the contrary, the US consistently opposed democracy if the results couldn't be controlled. Through covert (intelligence agencies) or military intervention the US (tried to) crush independent and popular forces that might bring about meaningful democracy (for those in power, `a virus' that would infect other countries and regions). Chomsky mentions interventions in Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Chili, Panama, Grenada, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Iraq, Iran, Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy.
In the US and worldwide, he sees considerable increases in inequality. In the US, real wages are declining since the 1960s and working conditions are worsening.

However, this book contains also some inaccuracies. N. Chomsky underestimated the democratic importance of internet and also its business impact (skilled information workers don't have to emigrate). He thought that biotechnology and genetic engineering would become the major investment focuses of the future, not military expenditures (today 50 % of the total US budget).
His analysis of the oil price hike in the 1970s is not correct (see W. Engdahl) and the main aim of speculative capital is quick gains (results are published every three months).

It is evident that in three small books one cannot fully evaluate international institutions or dismember philosophical problems. For criticism of GATT, IMF and World Bank I recommend the books of J. Stiglitz, and for a study of human nature and the roots of racism the works of R. Dawkins.

Ultimately, what can ordinary people do in order to influence the political process: first of all, vote (elections matter), also demonstrate (cause of the end of the Vietnam War) and divulge your opinion.

These books are written by a superbly free mind. We need Chomsky's voice. Highly recommended.

Thoughtful short work.......2002-07-30

more of a compendium of short interviews than indepth analysis but once again provides some thought provoking ideas for anyone interested in the world around them and if your're not, WHY NOT?

short interesting books on foreign policy and trade.......2002-06-09

The chomsky trilogy consists or three books from chomsky. They cover issues that really brought out by the media. They focus on U.S. foreign policy that many people may not be aware of it like nicauraga and hati. He deals with how coporations and strong anti-communist feeling influenced the policy. In addition, the books cover trade agreements like NAFTA and GATT and how they are influenced by corporations and turning parts of the industrialized world into the third world.

Some Good Points.......2002-04-24

In Chomsky's democracy, there is no passive citizens. Everyone will have to think and participate. And if you think about the some of the statements in this book, you begin to wonder. It's a good start when you embark on seriously reflecting on the nature of the world around us.

On the other hand, the reader whould do well to, as the first exercise, think about some of the things said in the book. For example, on p.99, it was mentioned by on of the questioners that "The United Sates, with 5% of the world's population, consumes 40% of the world's resources...." At the same time, on p.38, the author laments that "Real wages has been declining since the 1960's" in talking about the Third-Worldization of America. Does anyone not suspect that if Americans are any richer than they are now, they would not consume merely 40%, but maybe 50%, 60% or more, of the world's resources? Is it not implicit in the author's lament his horror at the thought of living a style not on the same level as the United States, when in fact, these other countries are living a more ecological balanced life? Yes, counter the defenders, but, it's possible for us to make more money and consume less. Really? What is the motivation to make money but to consume. And is it feasible at all that economic growth, the only source of wage growth, can be achieved without using up some resources of the world? A society where there is no farmer, no hunter but everyone is a lecturer, who does not pollute air, does not cut down trees, does not kill animals for food, does not exist.

In "Media Control", the same author talked about "manufacturing consent" and having "to turn to the technique of propaganda" by the government, as early as the Creel Commission to Americans to go in to World War I. In another breath, he writes in p.36 of this book, "the media contribute to the sense that the government is the enemy and they suppress the sources of real power in the society, which lie in the totalitarian institutions - the corporations, now international in scale - that control the economy and much of our social life." How is that possible? Did the Big Brother slip somewhere for the "controlled" media to attack it's own master?

Nevertheless, Chomsky is right to think that there is "a lot of power behind" the theory put forth by Thomas Ferguson, who believes that "the state is controlled by coalitions of investors who join together around some common interests." So, he is against Big Business. But, somewhat he is not against Big Government, for he thinks it's OK that the health care be in the hand of the government, for example.

He is only against the government when it comes to foreign policies. And here he is at his most consistent, as he describes one event after another, from the softball plants in Haiti, to Nicaragua, German POW's, Chile and Russia.

THE US POLICY OF AGGRESSION UNCOVERED!.......2002-01-20

In the past, the US was loved and respected in the world for symbolysing freedom, democracy and justice and for its educational humanitarian missions in many countries.

Book Description

These wide-ranging interviews, from 1992 and 1993, cover everything from Bosnia and Somalia to biotechnology and nonviolence, with particular attention to the "Third Worldization" of the United States.

Customer Reviews:

The Prosperous Few and the REstless Many.......2002-12-18

The book was boring and too wordy he would go into detail but an opinion or judgement of his and then come back to rephrase in a sort of "less complicated" manner yet the less complicated explaination was still in my opinion uncomprehendible. he, chomsky did not seem to prove or inspire to know more, his opinions were stated and seemed to me that the whole book consisted solely on his opinions and insights in our countries economics, politics and biotechnology. when i read a book a want to understand what is being written and discuss but with this book i felt lost and never once felt enlightened in any aspect of our country.

Unilluminating and ephemeral.......2002-11-20

This pamphlet comprises interviews with Chomsky from the early 1990s. They are not probing, and the subject matter is dated. It is not an illuminating read. No assumption or statement of Chomsky's is debated or challenged; the typical formulation of the interviewer Barsamian's contributions is "I'd like you to comment on...", rather than "your judgement must contend with this piece of countervailing evidence".

Barsamian starts with economics. Chomsky cannot let up on the notion that when a company establishes a plant in another country it is "exporting jobs". No international economist would agree; so far from "undercut[ting] opportunities for productive labor at home", as Chomsky puts it, the US has created 50 million new jobs since 1970. Chomsky makes what is commonly known as the 'lump of labour fallacy', believing that there is a fixed amount of jobs that trade redistributes, whereas in reality an open economy is able to redistribute factors of production from lower-valued to higher-valued goods and services. Likewise Chomsky inveighs against GATT (now the World Trade Organisation) and the North American Free Trade Agreement, but misunderstands their rationale. It is wrong, and has been shown to be wrong, to say that "NAFTA will very likely be quite harmful for American workers too. We may lose hundreds of thousands of jobs." Trade has little effect on aggregate employment; it merely shifts employment between sectors. The economic argument for trade - that the consequent ability to specialise will enhance productivity - is not addressed by Chomsky, who prefers to level charges of nefarious intent against free traders.

Turning to politics, Chomsky returns to his theme of the alleged imperialist designs of the United States. He continually makes judgements that are supposed to be taken on trust but demand scrutiny. He declares, for example, that "the military budget is mainly for intervention. In fact, even strategic nuclear forces were basically for intervention." Really? Where has the US "intervened" with strategic nuclear weapons since 1945? The rationale of US strategic nuclear forces is to deter a strategic nuclear attack on the American mainland. Chomsky appears to be merely declaring with rhetorical flourishes his disapproval of American military intervention. Ironically, his lambasting of all such intervention prevents him from analysing important developments in American policy over the last 20 years. He condemns the Reagan administration for intervening in Grenada ("it turned into a complete disaster", which apparently is how Chomsky sees the restoration of democracy), yet fails to note how cautious Reagan was in projecting American power compared with his successors. Chomsky is not propounding a history of US foreign policy, but he ought in fairness to deal with its complexities rather than merely make bald generalisations.

The discussion then takes a turn that has to be read to be believed: a chapter nominally about Yugoslavia makes accusations against Chomsky's domestic critics that, to say the least, require rather extensive evidence if they are to be sustained. Chomsky attributes to "the right wing in the West" support for Serb aggression. His evidence for this thesis is hardly careful or extensive: it consists solely of a letter to The Economist from a well-known eccentric Serb apologist. Chomsky pays no attention to rather better-known sources, such as Margaret Thatcher or Jeane Kirkpatrick, who called at an early stage for support for Bosnia. Ironically, the case against other western conservatives over Bosnia - namely that a pessimism about the limits of politics prevented them from acting sooner against Serb imperialism - is not available to Chomsky, who in this booklet repeats exactly their 'realist' arguments: "You have to ask about the consequences, and they could be quite complex.... It's not so simple."

The book gets worse. Chomsky casually describes the historian Angelo Codevilla as propounding an argument about the effects of colonialism that is "so low you'd have to go to the Nazi archives" to find something comparable. Comment on Chomsky's rhetorical trope is unnecessary. Chomsky instead extends his approval for exposing official deceit to, of all people, the Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchu. Those who have read David Stoll's book on Miss Menchu will appreciate the irony here.

Chomsky next turns to decrying the society he lives in. He depicts the United States as a haven for ubiquitous and influential religious fundamentalism. The trouble is, he once again cites no data and considers no countervailing evidence. The US does indeed strike the outside observer as unusual in its extensive civic professions of religious conviction, but the crucial question for a democratic polity is not its citizens' beliefs in origins and eschatology but whether those beliefs are separated from political practice. The subtlety of this question is not considered in Chomsky's ex cathedra assertion that "we could move back to real pre-Enlightenment times" - a particularly tendentious remark when read in 2002, not long after the US has managed to move one society, Afghanistan, firmly out of pre-Enlightenment times.

The booklet concludes with a section entitled 'Outside the Pale of Intellectual Responsibility'. The words are apparently a description of Chomsky by Martin Peretz, and Barsamian implicitly invites the reader to be shocked that so damning a judgement could be uttered of so upright a man as Chomsky. But then Chomsky discloses something remarkable. He complains that the New York Times doesn't always print his letters, and reveals that on at least one occasion, and possibly more, "I contacted a friend inside, who was able to put enough pressure on so they ran the letter." Read that statement again. On Chomsky's own account, he used personal connections in order to gain access to newspaper columns reserved for the public, rather than allowing his arguments to be considered on their merits. So far as I am aware, this aspect of Chomsky's political activism has received little comment, and it deserves to be better-known.

Getting [Exploited] On A Global Basis.......2002-09-06

A short book of interview excerpts. Chomsky argues that the purpose behind NAFTA (a new deal at the time the book was published) was to open up Mexico to American industries searching for cheap labor. Since the standard of living in Mexico is lower than in the U.S., and since the workers don't benefit from the same civil rights, NAFTA gives U.S. companies access to a virtually unlimited source of what amounts to slave-employees. Of course, Mexico isn't the only 3rd World nation to experience such U.S. incursions; we have a commercial (and military) presence in a number of nations in South America, Asia, and Africa. U.S. taxpayers categorically foot the bill for the costs of opening up the foriegn territories for U.S. interests (particulary where military invasions are involved, such as in Colombia), but the companies alone reap the benefits of the cheap labor. And any resulting layoffs here at home (part of the cost reduction) puts a drain on the unemployment fund, which also comes out of our taxes.

Chomsky also points out how U.S. and state governments routinely grant subsidies to businesses (another drain on taxes), effectively instituting welfare for corporations. He notes that the economic structure in the U.S. is slowly evolving toward the model of the 3rd World, where most of the money lies in the hands of a few individuals, the vast majority of the population consists of the working poor, and the governments invariably support the interests of the upper classes.

Chomsky's spoken word album FREE MARKET FANTASIES discusses some of these same subjects. I don't know if I agree completely with all of Chomsky's views, but it certainly makes me want to dig up more information on the subjects. Thought-provoking, engaging, and quick to read.

Is there a right wing conspiracy in America? U decide!.......2001-12-27

Noam Chomsky is one of the most famous intellectuals in America today but for those of you unfamiliar with his ideas, be forewarned, he is very far on the left end of the political spectrum. With that said, I found this very short book, essentially a series of short question and answer discussions, to be a good introduction to his ideas and it left me anxious to learn more.

a good intro to chomsky.......2001-03-10

It's a good book. This is a good way to introduce chomsky; my first of many reads by him. The book isn't terribly difficult and has many good points. I don't agree with his points, but he allows for one to think and analyze in a different manner, a more dark and scutinizing point of view.

THE PROSPEROUS FEW AND THE RESTLESS MANY

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THE PROSPEROUS FEW AND THE RESTLESS MANY

Manufacturer: ODONIAN PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HS57LM

The PROSPEROUS FEW And The RESTLESS MANY. Interviewed by David Barsamian.

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The PROSPEROUS FEW And The RESTLESS MANY. Interviewed by David Barsamian.
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ProductGroup: Book
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Customer Reviews:

Talks about EMU in a nutshell, but a bit dated and............2000-03-24

...not very helpful, if you study economics and need something to help you in writing your term paper on EMU issues and problems (as it was the case with me). It is not very balanced: it either gives very basic info (the info you would rather get from your local instructor or library), or it goes too deeply into examples. Plus, again, 1997....uh, a bit dated, considering that world and EMU changes so quickly. Anyway, my opinion is just that of an average student.

Guide to problems arising from Europe's EMU.......1998-01-12

Logically laid out, the problems arising from 'ever closer union' and their consequences are outlined in a nutshell, while delving deep enough to uncover the essential determining factors. One of the essential guides to the scale of the effect of Economic and Monetary Union in Europe will have on Both the US and global economies

Amazon.com

Online investing has had certain faddish characteristics, but it's so convenient that there can be little doubt that we'll be managing our money on the Internet for a long time. Quicken 2000 does a great job of helping you track your trades online and plot your course to capital appreciation. Online Investing with Quicken 2000: The Official Guide helps you decode the latest Quicken interface, but it doesn't let the software get in the way of the investing. That is, authors Susan Price (a money writer) and Maria Langer (a software expert) first explain how to choose investments that fit your needs, and then they show you how to use the software. This is how software books--and software generally--ought to work.

The authors do a good job of explaining when various kinds of investments (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, home mortgages) are good ideas, and how to go about selecting the right ones. That said, this book focuses on a certain kind of investor: Americans between the ages of 25 and 65 who work for an organization. Quicken is very good at tracking 401(k) contributions, budgets designed around a regular paycheck, and middle-class tax matters.

The software (and thus this book) has less to offer people who have already retired, or who are self-employed in unpredictable fields. The authors also sometimes aptly explain a financial instrument--covered calls are an example--without showing how to track it in Quicken. The point is that if you're part of Quicken's target demographic, you'll be very happy with this book. --David Wall

Topics covered: Accumulating wealth through careful budgeting, regular saving, and investments in stocks and mutual funds--with the assistance of Intuit Quicken 2000. How to use Quicken to get an accurate picture of your financial situation and plan (considering your goals, taxes, and stomach for volatility) a strategy for the future. Advice on picking stocks and funds, and how to synchronize your online brokerage account with your Quicken investment register.

Book Description

Harness the power of Quicken 2000 and Quicken.com to become a successful online investor! This Intuit-authorized guide explains how you can set your financial goals and find the money to reach them and it reveals the secrets of successful investing. You'll learn how to find hot growth stocks and blue chips using Quicken's powerful stock-screening software...and so much more.

Customer Reviews:

Very basic........2001-07-17

Its a good beginner's book - both on investing and on using Quicken for your investments. Its a bit light on the material I was hoping for: depth about really optimizing my use of Quicken for investment tracking and analysis.

Thanks!.......2000-05-09

I've wanted to take control of my finances and invest online for a while, but it's seemed a daunting task. This book gave me all the basics I needed to help me invest online with confidence. At least now I know I'm making informed decisions. Thanks.

A must-have for any investor!.......2000-03-15

If you're serious about online investing, this book is a must-have. Susan Price and Maria Langer provide smart, insightful advice for investors, without all the jargon. Its straightforward, easy-to-understand style sets itself apart from other investment books. The authors give practical advice on everything from choosing the right investments to tracking your trades online. The book is all substance, no hype. I highly recommend it.

great book, informative.......2000-03-08

i'm new to online investing and I was looking for a basic, well-organized, clearly presented book to help get me started. In truth I've bought about five books on the subject and I liked this one best. Great, clear, informative. Just what you need without the junk. I recommend it.

Buy this book!.......2000-03-07

More than just a computer guide, Price and Langer teach you how to leverage Quicken 2000 with actionable investment principles as useful as they are timeless. Extremely readable & graphical. A veritable treasure trove of valuable investment information for the long term online investor.

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Online Investing with Quicken 2000
Maria Langer Susan Price
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Financial Studies of the Small Business : Ringbound (Financial Studies of the Small Business)

Manufacturer: Financial Research Assoc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound
ASIN: 9990894760

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Financial Studies of the Small Business: Ringbound (Financial Studies of the Small Business, 23rd ed)

Manufacturer: Financial Research Assoc
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General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 9990809682

Book Description

Proving You're Qualified is a career book for competent people who have learned their jobs, on the job. More than 75 percent of the workers in America are without college degrees. Many are highly skilled and capable, yet they are often passed over for promotion for lack of a degree, which has nothing, whatsoever, to do with their performance. This book offers a frank discussion of educational merit and actual performance in a workplace caught in the grip of frightening change. Proving You're Qualified enables the reader to better understand the nature of power in hierarchies, to gain insight into methods for fighting credentialism, and to save time and money by utilizing alternate methods of adult continuing education.

Customer Reviews:

Offers an excellent approach to ensuring your career security in the 21st century!.......2006-08-21

In the realm of many books covering self-directed learning, I would like to single out two books which I have read on this subject.

They are:

- Self University: The Price of Tuition is the Desire to Learn, by Charles Hayes;
- Proving You're Qualified: Strategies for Competent People without College Degrees, by Charles Hayles;

After having spent twenty-four years in the corporate world, I really consider them to be the wisest & most useful books I have ever read on the subject of self-directed learning.

'Self-University' is a heart-warming book. It encourages all of us to think of education as a life-long, self-initiated venture instead of a lifeless, institutionalized affair.

Let me recap the author's catchy metaphor from this book: "The caterpillar is condemned to crawl, but the butterfly has the potential to soar above with an all-inclusive view of the world. As humans we complete our caterpillar stage when we reach mature physical growth. If we are to soar like the butterflies, we must do so through the development of our minds."

'Proving You're Qualified' is a career book for competent people who have learned their jobs, on the job...& yet they are often passed over for promotion for lack of a degree, which has nothing, whatsoever, to do with their performance. This book offers readers a frank discussion of educational merit and actual performance in a workplace caught in the grip of frightening change. It can help you to better understand the nature of power in hierarchies, to gain insight into methods for fighting credentialism, and to save time and money by utilizing alternate methods of adult continuing education.

My favourite chapters from 'Proving You're Qualified' are:

- Chapter 6: Leverage, Options & Choices;
- Chapter 7: Learning to Live with Change;
- Chapter 8: Me, Inc.;

These three chapters alone are worth the price of the entire book!

The above two books are very thought-provoking. Each chapter of the two books are so compelling that you may feel forced to write comments in the margins of the pages as you go along.

To sum up my review, these two wonderful books offer an excellent approach to ensuring your career security in the 21st century.

A Provocative Analysis from a Unique Perspective.......1999-08-27

In this work, Hayes examines the world of academia and the credentials it confers through the eyes of the working person. Hayes references personal experience, philosophical wisdom, and pure common sense to form a work that, if nothing else, will challenge the reader's view of the credentialing process and stimulate one's thoughts. A valuable read for anyone, credentialed or not.

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Household Dynamics: Economic Growth and Policy
William A. Lord
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Corporate Citizenship matters. It is no longer just a moral imperative - it is now smart business. Investors, consumers, employees and communities are demanding Capitalism with a Human Face - it is time to deliver some corporate soul. Companies have responded with a new way of talking about business, but is this just a facade behind which nothing has changed? Living Corporate Citizenship discusses these issues and examines the impact of eight major social responsibility codes, including the UN Global Compact. Contents include: Living corporate citizenship, Refining the debate: corporate social responsibility and corporate citizenship, the Boundaries of corporate citizenship, Developing corporate citizenship competence and working with NGO's, Linkages, convergence and change, What is the UN Global Compact?, Learning from company engagement with the Global Compact, the Future.

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