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CRITICISM OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
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CRITICISM OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICYNoam Chomsky is a very vocal critic of the US government’s international policies. He has repeatedly indicted the US government as the main source of terror, and maintains that the US invades countries and supports coups in order to extend its economic dominance. In fact, he says that all actions of the US government are taken to ensure economic and ideological control worldwide. Chomsky explains that business interests control much of the US government, through routes such as campaign donations and friendly relationships. As a result, the actions of the US government are directed towards maintaining a US-dominated economic system. These actions are taken to fulfill both short-term economic and long-term ideological goals. For example, Chomsky has argued that the United States involved itself in Vietnam because the socialist aspirations of the north threatened its economic interests. Most recently, Noam Chomsky has been one of the many critics of the war in Iraq. He argues that it is a further example of US imperialism. In 1945, the State Department recognized the energy resources in the Gulf to be a “stupendous source of strategic power, and one of the greatest material prizes of world history” (609 Moral Truisms). In order to gain control of this ‘prize’, Noam Chomsky maintains that the United States invaded Iraq to obtain control of the oil. In his article “It’s Imperialism, Stupid”, Noam Chomsky refers to Zbigniew Brzezinski , a senior planner and analyst, who stated that US control over the Middle East would give it political leverage over the European and Asian economies who are dependent on oil from that region. Thus, Chomsky states, the true reason for going to war is neither the debunked WMD theory nor democratic aspirations (since the US is not adverse to supporting non-democratic regimes), but rather economic control. Further, Chomsky maintains that the United States government is one of the primary perpetrators of global terror. He argues that the United States government routinely targets civilian populations and overthrows democratically elected governments that it disagrees with. For example, in 1962 the Kennedy administration altered the focus of the Latin American military assistance program from ‘hemispheric defense’ to ‘internal security’ (Moral Truisms 607). This change in policy really mean “a shift from toleration ‘of the rapacity and cruelty of the Latin American military’ to ‘direct complicity’ in their crimes, to US support for ‘the methods of Heinrich Himmler’s extermination squads.’” The United States became highly involved Latin American state-sponsored terrorism, seeking to quash any anti-capitalist sentiment that the US determined a threat. One notable example is in Colombia, where in 1962 the Kennedy Special Forces instructed the paramilitary on methods of sabotage and terrorist activities against communist proponents. In fact, the president of the Colombian Permanent Committee for Human Rights, Alfredo Vasquez Carrizosa, has stated that the United States military trained the Argentine, Uruguayan, and Colombian militaries to use terrorist activities in killing “social workers, trade unionists, men and women who are not supportive of the establishment, and who are assumed to be communist extremists” (608). Because of its targeting of innocent civilians, Noam Chomsky refers to the United States as the main wielder of power. However, because the United States is the sole superpower and has tremendous propaganda abilities, the government is able to deem those who go against it as terrorists and itself as the protector of freedom. Thus, the US acts with impunity, naming its acts of aggression as necessary defensive tactics. IMPLICATIONS FOR DEBATENoam Chomsky’s scholarship can be very useful in numerous debate rounds. His writings provide a plethora of examples of US imperialism, and his extensive list of facts will provide you with a deep understanding of the ‘under-belly’ of US foreign policy. In his writings, Noam Chomsky has examined most of the United State’s economics and military dealings, and provides a good understanding of the government’s true intentions. Thus, if you are debating any resolution that focuses on US foreign policy, militarism, or democracy promotion, Noam Chomsky would be an ideal source of information. Furthermore, his critique of neoliberal economic policies will be extremely useful in economic debates. Many resolutions in the past have asked questions about the effectiveness of free trade, development processes, and capitalism. Chomsky’s numerous books and articles on this topic will provide you with a plethora of arguments against free market capitalism. Finally, Chomsky’s writings on anarcho-syndicalism are also important sources of debate information. In his scholarship, Chomsky offers an enlightening criticism of the current capitalist system and the problems of US democracy. Such arguments would be very useful in debates about economic development, democratic governments, and globalization. The change he offers, a socialist anarchic society, is a possible alternative you could propose in any debate about governmental organization. BIBLIOGRAPHYBarksy, Robert F. Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998. Chomsky Info: The Noam Chomsky Website. 2006. Noam Chomsky Official Website. 26 Jul. 2006 Chomsky, Noam. 9-11. New York: Seven Stories Press, 2001. ---. Chronicles of Dissent: Interviews with David Barsamian. Monroe: Common Courage Press, 1992. ---. “Commentary: Moral Truisms, Empirical Evidence, and Foreign Policy.” Review of International Studies 29 (2003): 605-620. ---. The Culture of Terrorism. Boston: South End Press, 1988. ---. Deterring Democracy. New York: Verso, 1991. ---. Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2006. ---. Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2003. ---. Imperial Ambitions: Conversation on the Post- 9/11 World. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2005. ---. “It’s Imperialism, Stupid.” Chomsky Info. 4 Jul. 2005. 26 Jul 2006 < http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20050704.htm>. ---. Keeping the Rabble in Line: Interviews with David Barsamian. Monroe: Common Courage Press, 1994. ---. Middle East Illusions: Including Peace in the Middle East? Reflections on Justice and Nationhood. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2003. ---. Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies. Boston: South End Press, 1989. ---. Profit Over People: Neoliberalism and Global Order. New York: Seven Stories Press, 1999. ---. “The Relevance of Anarcho-Syndicalism.” Chomsky Info. 25 Jul. 1976. 26 Jul 2006 ---. World Orders, Old and New. New York: Columbia University Press, 1994. Chomsky, Noam, et al. Acts of Aggression: Policing Rogue States. New York: Seven Stories Press, 1999. Chomsky, Noam, et al. The Cold War & The University: Toward an Intellectual History of the Postwar Years. New York: New Press, 1997. Pateman, Barry, ed. Chomsky On Anarchism. Edinburgh: AK Press, 2005. Macedo, Donaldo, ed. Chomsky on Miseducation. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000. 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