Culture of Terrorism
by Noam Chomsky
It’s hard to pinpoint Noam Chomsky’s specialty because there are so many. The obvious answer would be linguistics. After all, the man is a professor on the subject at MIT. But what about politics and world issues? The reason Chomsky seems to have so much to say on everything is because he’s really only talking about one thing: US aggression. Whether it’s the Israel-Palestine problem, Vietnam, or Latin America, the US affects the fate of all nations.
The subject of Nicaragua has been interesting to me ever since I heard the Clash’s album Sandinista. I know that sounds cheap, but growing up in a land far far away and close to Venezuela in the 90’s, the subject of Latin American liberalism has become inescapable. And that’s what the Culture of Terrorism focuses on; Nicaragua and neighboring Central American states.
One can see why he chose the name, as Chomsky right away focuses on the terror inflicted by the US on foreign states supporting whatever power is interested in stripping its citizens of their freedom. Culture of Terrorism is a thorough “study” of the US-backed Contra war on Nicaragua, and while all the treaties of the region are a bit difficult to follow, for the most part it’s easy to grasp how Chomsky lays out the constant harassment and usurping of Nicaragua by the US in opposition to the rest of the world. With such isolation, is it any wonder Nicaragua cracked? Really, this book is an ABC guide to the kind of terror the US has brought to Central America, and serves as the “other” side of the story you don’t hear in American journalism.
Chomsky offers some hope at the end when he mentions of there will always be people who will stand up for their freedom and integrity. Sure, but if the US is truly opposed to international terrorism then maybe is must shut itself down. And that’s unnerving.
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