Friday, February 10th, 2012

Chomsky Book Banned From Guantanamo

By
Monday, October 12, 2009 at 11:16 am

The donation of an anthology of post-9/11 commentary by Professor Noam Chomsky has been rejected from the library at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, reports The Miami Herald.

While the prison offers inmates books and videos on Harry Potter and the World Cup, which are among the more than 16,000 items it holds, leftist intellectual commentary from an 80-year-old MIT linguistics professor is apparently taboo. U.S. military censors rejected the donation of an Arabic-language copy of the 2007 anthology called Interventions, donated by a Pentagon lawyer.

A defense department spokesman didn’t say exactly why the book was rejected, but the slip accompanying the book’s return listed among the categories of books banned from the Guantanamo Bay prison library anything promoting “Anti-American, Anti-Semitic, Anti-Western” ideology, literature on “military topics,” and works that portray “excessive graphic violence” and “sexual dysfunctions.”

“This happens sometimes in totalitarian regimes,” Chomsky told Miami Herald reporter Carol Rosenberg in an email after he learned his book had been banned.

Categories & Tags: Civil Rights| National Security| U.S.| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Comments

24 Comments

Midday Open Thread | Bloggers For Change
Pingback posted October 12, 2009 @ 3:47 pm

[...] Noam Chomsky is either anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-Western or his work is too violent and/or sexually dysfunctional. Or something: [...]

Midday Open Thread | The Latest Liberal Blogs
Pingback posted October 12, 2009 @ 4:16 pm

[...] Noam Chomsky is either anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-Western or his work is too violent and/or sexually dysfunctional. Or something: [...]

Guanubian
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 3:58 pm

The Guantanamo censor's decision is exactly right.

There is an imbricated splendor in the cynicism required to describe Chomsky's oeuvre as “leftist intellectual commentary”. And savor the narcissism of the world's “top public intellectual” in complaining of “[totalitarianism]” when it is correctly identified as “anti-American”!

chrisjay
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 4:33 pm

Well, Guano, if I may parse your florid verbiage, you sound pretty pro-censorship to me

Guanubian
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 4:51 pm

Yes, genius, I am “pro-censorship” insofar as I believe anti-American propaganda should not be given to detainees suspected of anti-American terrorism and insurgency.

strangely_enough
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 5:00 pm

Spoken like someone who's never read Chomsky, or bothered to look up the word propaganda.
But, you did get the “suspected” part right…

Guanubian
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 5:04 pm

Spoken like a Chomsky acolyte. Arguing with Chomsky acolytes is like arguing with a Scientologist… sitting across from you at Barney Frank's dining room table.

Irish_Wake
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 6:34 pm

Could you reword you post in a way that even a South Carolina Representative could understand? I believe your intended lesson differs from the received lesson.

Guanubian
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 6:36 pm

Dude, this isn't the Adult Learning Annex. http://www.m-w.com.

chrisjay
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 6:52 pm

Doesn't take much to get Guano off of his multi-syllabic high horse and down here where he belongs—-just another reactionary troglodyte who can't even string together a respectable one-liner!

DOUGLASFIELD
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 6:58 pm

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.
**JUST MAYBE AMERICA NEEDS A FEW MORE REVOLVING DOORS IN OUR U.S. CONGRESS **

OUR COUNTRY COULD REALLY USE MANY MORE SINCERE AMERICANS LIKE OUR TWO U.S. SENATORS FROM MAINE WHO CONSIDER THIS COUNTRIES 45 MILLION POOR AMERICAN MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN WITHOUT PROPER HEALTH CARE LIKE THEIR OWN FAMILY AHEAD OF THEIR ELECTED POLITICAL FAMILY **

45 MILLION POORER AMERICANS HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN TOUCHED BY ANGELS WITH THE PEOPLES TWO U.S. SENATORS SNOWE AND COLLINS OF MAINE.

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS THANKS THESE SPECIAL WOMEN FROM THE CARING STATE OF MAINE FOR SHOWING THE REST OF AMERICA THAT GODS VILLAGE OF ANGELICA BEINGS CAN EVEN BE HERE WITH US EVERY~DAY IN THE FLESH.
————————————————–
~ OUR U.S.CONGRESS AT LEAST DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE…THEY AFFORD POORER AMERICANS THE SAME EMERGENCY ONLY HEALTH*CARE THAT ILLEGAL ALIENS RECEIVE ~

AMERICA~LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT~ 45,000 DEAD POOR AMERICANS LEAVE U.S. EVERY*YEAR DUE TO 3rd WORLD HEALTH CONDITIONS ??

** POLITICS IN AMERICA IS VERY SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHEN OUR MIDDLE~CLASS & WORKING POOR CITIZENS ARE ALL BEING FORCED 2 ALLOW BIG $$$ TO CONTROL THE PEOPLES HALLS OF THE U.S.CONGRESS..

~ SADLY,OUR VERY OWN AMERICAN HEALTH*CARE SATANIC VERSES HAS KEPT 45 MILLION POOR AMERICANS IN 3rd WORLD HEALTH CONDITIONS~

DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY ~ THE WORLDS SELECT BILLIONAIRES AND THEIR FRONT CORPORATIONS WILL ALL GET ON BOARD THE NEW HEALTH~TRAIN OF $$$…**ADDING 45 MILLION MORE AMERICAN CITIZENS TO THE CURRENT GIVEN PROFIT MARGINS + WITH A FUTURE AMNESTY PROGRAM
(6 months) AFTER NEXT U.S.PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION = $$$$$$$$$………

WEALTH~CARE FOR ALL THE HEAVILY INVESTED INTERNATIONAL AND AMERICAN BILLIONAIRES IN THE CURRENT U.S.HEALTH FOR THE WEALTHY ONLY SYSTEM WILL NOT END ANYTIME SOON… IT WILL ONLY BE RE~ARRANGED TO MAKE SURE ALL THESE MEGA CAPITALISTS PROSPER IN JUST ANOTHER FASHION .

THE FINE ART OF DENYING 45 MILLION AMERICANS HEALTH~CARE IN OUR JUDEO~CHRISTIAN NATION IS NOT RACIST AT ALL… IT'S JUST OUR BEHIND THE SCENE WEALTHY ELITE CITIZENS USING THEIR TREMENDOUS WEALTH TO DIRECTLY INFLUENCE OUR U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES IN KEEPING ALL THE little poor folk down *

AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS ALL ACROSS THE USA HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO COUNT ON THEIR RELIGIOUS FLOCK TO CONTRIBUTE(TITHE)THEIR HARD EARNED MONIES TO THEIR MINISTRIES EVERY WEEK. THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS ATTENDING RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN THE U.S. ARE MIDDLE~CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS WHO NOW DESPERATELY NEED THE HELP AND SUPPORT FROM THESE SAME U.S.RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN LOBBYING THE U.S.CONGRESS TO PROVIDE PROPER HEALTH~CARE FOR ALL POORER AMERICANS.

***THERE ARE CURRENTLY AN ESTIMASTED 45 MILLION MEN WOMAN AND CHILDREN WITHOUT HEALTH~CARE IN THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD????

SILENT AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHO ALL HAVE HEALTH~CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES IS MUCH MORE FRIGHTENING THEN THE POSSIBLE DENIAL OF A FUTURE HEALTH~CARE PLAN FOR ALL…

**45,OOO AMERICANS DIE EACH YEAR IN THE WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD DIRECTLY RELATED TO THEIR LACK OF PROPER HEALTH*CARE.

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS IS A WWW VOLUNTEER LOBBY FOUND WITH ANY SEARCH ENGINE. (424-247-2013)

Guanubian
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 7:02 pm

Cliche as it is, “reactionary troglodyte” adds up to more than 50 cents. But this is getting rich — being scolded for verbosity by people who admire Chomsky's endless reams of boat-anchor prose.

Frederick Courtright
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 8:08 pm

I think they'd certainly do better to attack your content (which has an alarmingly low thought/word ratio), but you certainly seem more than willing to get down into the dirt pretty quickly.

There is absolutely no reason people accused of being “anti-American” should be prevented from reading “Anti-American” books while in the custody of the United States. And other than indicating your proud “pro-censorship” membership you haven't given any reason why they shouldn't.

Swami_Binkinanda
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 8:15 pm

How about being scolded by people who value the First Amendment to the constitution, freedom of expression, and human rights, you know, the traditions that are considered America's heritage?

You're a naughty little storm trooper, even if Chomsky had never existed. Zampolit for Obama?

Rich Santoro
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 8:43 pm

I have read Chomsky. I would really have to be dishonest with myself to find that he is guilty of anti-Americanism or propaganda. Quite the opposite. he has a love fopr this country akin to what Al Franken described. Paraphrase: onservatives love the U.S. like a child loves his mommy. She is the most beautiful country in the world and can do no wrong, ever. Liberals love the U.S. like one mature adult to another. The relationship needs to be open and honest and nuturing. We help each other along, to be the best that we can be. Chomsky looks like the latter… the entire right-wing appears to be very much the former.

Rich Santoro
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 8:45 pm

To correct typos:

I have read Chomsky. I would really have to be dishonest with myself to find that he is guilty of anti-Americanism or propaganda. Quite the opposite. He has a love for this country akin to what Al Franken described. Paraphrase: Conservatives love the U.S. like a child loves his mommy. She is the most beautiful country in the world and can do no wrong, ever. Liberals love the U.S. like one mature adult to another. The relationship needs to be open and honest and nuturing. We help each other along, to be the best that we can be. Chomsky looks like the latter… the entire right-wing appears to be very much the former.

donofcali
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 9:17 pm

You can't have our GIs exposed to all those evil ideas. You can't risk having a GI think something that he/she hasn't thought before. You can't take the chance that a new realization reached by being exposed to a new idea might jeopardize all that brainwashing we paid for.

Irish_Wake
Comment posted October 12, 2009 @ 9:40 pm

I agree, it is not.
Nor is it usually an exercise in synonyms and the use of quotation marks, although I am impressed with your use of both.
My request was for more logic and less fluff, as making unsubstantiated pronouncements without any supporting evidence shows an pedestrian mind. I was hoping for more.
My mistake, I apologize.

Chomsky Book Banned From Guantanamo | The Lie Politic
Pingback posted October 13, 2009 @ 12:23 am

[...] Visit Source [...]

Name
Comment posted October 13, 2009 @ 12:13 am

I love how Chomsky always goes for the throat. “This sometimes happens in totalitarian regimes.” Classic!

vabelle
Comment posted October 13, 2009 @ 3:20 am

[...] books banned from the Guantanamo Bay prison library anything promoting “Anti-American, Anti-Semitic, Anti-Western” ideology, literature on “military topics,” and works that portray “excessive graphic violence” and “sexual dysfunctions.”

I particularly like the benevolent intent of screening the prisoners from “works that portray excessive graphic violence and sexual dysfunctions”… Heaven forfend that people who had been waterboarded by sexually-deviant psychopaths (pretending to smear menstrual blood on your face? That's “normal”?), should be exposed to such imagery…

Barbara
Comment posted October 13, 2009 @ 2:37 pm

Is there any question that Chomsky's evaluation is not direct or honest? We must suppress honesty in this country else we won't be able to comfortably continue with the lie that we are a country of democracy, justice and equality for all. We won't be able to continue the lie that our wars are fought to promote democracy and peace around the world. We won't be able to continue the lie that we vote for legislators that go to D.C. and represent our interests. Yes, by all means, censor characters like Chomsky so we of the middle and upper classes can continue to live in peace secure in the knowledge that we are right and anyone who protests or is unable to succeed, do so because of their own deficiencies of character.

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