Chomsky

A brief Retrospective

Chris Hedges

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I have known him since the early Seventies when I published a review of one of his books, ,whilst I was still in India. teaching at JNU.

Then I crossed over, , and maintained the connection.

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As years went by, we exchanged views on many many issues, almost weekly.

He supported my Works,, enthusiastically throughout, even touting my Political Economy and Laissez-Faire (1986) as one of his top ten favorites, or so I read somewhere.

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I always considered him really a classical liberal, (a sort of a compliment). in its NIneteenth century sense.

I once told him if he were in India he would go unnoticed, given the sheer opulence of progressive ideas. there.

If he were an anarcho syndicalist, as is oft suggested, , he kept that secret from me.in all that time.

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My association with him came in for criticism from the Left.

They suggested he was a shepherd, like Sanders, for the system ( *talking left, and steering right’)

I brushed them aside as Left paranoia.

[btw I have little truck with the standard ‘Left/Right’ dual, which I see as equally Eurocentric and EuroModernist terms.]

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Then came Covid.

And Noam changed.

He turned into a very frightened old man.

There is no other way of saying it.

My raising obvious queries about the incidence, and the vaccines , came in for severe rebukes,

I had never ever seen him react like that , about anything.

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I tried to joke my way out of it, but to no avail,

Finally , I gave up.

I told him, after a particularly irksome outburst, that he should stick to linguistics, maybe, and leave politics to the pros!

I know, rather harsh?

He responded, in kind, telling me I should stick to poetry!

Touche?

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Then came the Trump issue.

He was adamant we should all vote for Biden.

I had thought it best to abstain.?

I also pointed out, mildly, that his suggestion did not square with his alleged politics.?

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Again , he turned cross and cranky

That abstaining would only help Trump win., and that would be the end .

But, there was that same unreasoning , angry, vein showing.

He was impatient, even petulant.

Not at all the suave logician that was his normal persona?

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And now , the Epstein issue.

I have cited Chris Hedges (above). as a mature, responsible, intellectual.

I know not what to make of it all.

I really don’t understand it, so I will not comment.

It wouldn’t be responsible.

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So, how can I sum it all up?

I will return to my original comment.

I have always seen Noam as a classical liberal,, but in a society as right of centre as the US he stood out as something more than that..

Maybe?

So , for me, it’s not a case of a ‘ god who failed’.

In fact , I feel very sorry for him,, given his health situation.

He was a loyal friend,, for a very long time,

And I have to be grateful.

And am.

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I wish he were better so he could answer his critics. directly, and explain matters.

I will leave it at that?

ps perhaps, some day, I might publish our correspondence...