A-Infos (en) US, GAINESVILLE, FL. UF - couple thousand people came to hear Chomsky Talks War

[Dan Clore <clore@columbia-center.org>]

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Thousands turned out to hear his perspective.
couple thousand people, including babies, students and the
silver-haired set, swarmed the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
on Tuesday night to hear political dissident Noam Chomsky speak.
Chomsky, 74, is a professor of linguistics at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But he is arguably
better known for his political writings. He has written and
lectured widely on linguistics, philosophy, intellectual
history, contemporary issues, international affairs and U.S.
foreign policy.

Tuesday night, Chomsky spoke about the United States' war
against Iraq, one of several political events that happened
last year that he said "is likely to cast a shadow over your
lives and the future."

He minced no words as he said the first problem was
President Bush revealing his national security plan. The
powers that be in Washington, D.C., want to dominate the
world, he said.

The administration has frightened people into accepting
their rule, Chomsky said. They have convinced people that
Iraq is a threat when there was no evidence Iraq was making
weapons of mass destruction, he said.

But polls showed the American public believed Iraq was
responsible for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,
Chomsky said.

"If you repeat it often enough and loudly enough, it becomes
true," Chomsky said to cheers and applause from the audience.

The administration wants to invade other countries to
maintain political power, he said.

But it comes at a cost, Chomsky added.

While some people might run from the threat of a U.S.
attack, others may be spurred to revenge, he said. The Bush
administration's actions have threatened security, he said.

"When you announce you're going to attack (a country), they
don't just sit back and say, 'Fine,'" Chomsky said. "They
turn to the new weapon of the week."

Chomsky also talked about what he called the Reagan-Bush era
in the 1980s and 1990s using the same scare tactics. And he
claimed the United States' bullying techniques stretch
decades back into the 1970s and before.

University of Florida student Anuradha Ramunujan said she
came to Chomsky's speech because she admired Chomsky's
writings about 9-11.

"I just wanted to see what he'd say," she said.

Chomsky's speech was sponsored by the Civic Media Center and
ACCENT Speaker's Bureau.

Kathy Ciotola can be reached at (352) 338-3109 or
ciotolk@gvillesun.com.
--------------------
Chomsky talks war, Bush politics at UF
by Kathy Ciotola
[GAINESVILLE] SUN STAFF WRITER
-- 
Dan Clore

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