An Interview with Noam Chomsky by Doug Richardson 2
I think or so of the three. Some countries and we see. That in many ways we're seeing it right now in debates in Washington. It in the fact. That the United States is practically alone in the developed world. That it does not have. Some form of national health care except for the general public but that's not. Because people don't want. It in fact it was a poll just a couple days ago which showed. Once again that given three options what's called single-payer here meaning universal health care the Republican proposal the Affordable Care Act other the Republican proposal was opposed by a huge majority the affordable care act was a moderate support but majority support was for public option universal health care that's been true for many years it's one of the very it's very interesting fact about us public opinion the when the question is asked in a reasonable way.
You know a lot as is you know polls depend a lot on how the questions are formulated but if the poll. If the questions are asked in a sort of a rational way then quite typically people prefer a universal health care sometimes with great enthusiasm so toward the end of the Reagan years for example about 70% of the population thought. That there should be a constitutional guarantee of health care should be in the Constitution and about 40% of the population photo was already in the Constitution. Nobody knows what's in the Constitution except.
That it's a holy book with. Everything good and so must have universal health care and there have been results for like. That for a long time. When it's it's not discussed very much in the press but when. It is the commentary is interesting so for example. When Carey was running for president the last debate was on social and economic policy. You look back at the times commentary. It says but Kerry didn't bring up. Any notion like public health care national health care and the reason. They said is interesting words. They said it has two little political support which is correct. It is not supported by those who determine policy the financial institutions the pharmaceutical institutions. They don't support. It doesn't have political support there is something called a population but their views are not political support and this of course bears on the first component of the Universal Declaration civets civil and political rights and about that there's quite a lot to say but I don't want to throw. It on about it we're already we're already trending into trumpism but we let's back up just a little bit here as. I mentioned.
One of the major themes of our meeting today is is is is human rights but not not only the current provision but but how. They might be applied to to the day-to-day activities of of academics of people conducting research people trying to anticipate. What the outcomes of their research would be and in how to how to manage. That those kinds of tricky questions in terms of the practice of say geography the practice of philosophy of practice of many many types of science and of course with lots of new technologies coming up it's it's we run quickly into unintended consequences of technologies. We run quickly into unforeseen consequences and of course there's the wide range of intended consequences which or those that should have been foreseen and this is somewhat close to to my own heart. Because isn't earlier in my career. I developed the Dalton patent their first real-time interactive GPS and GIS systems geographic information systems which which at that time had broad-based environmental applications.
That they were developed for and now. That that you know. Most were used. Now heavily in surveillance and they're used heavily in areas which essentially in modern warfare in fact. Most of our wars are fought. Now basically as. One big large scale real-time interactive GPS GIS system and so. These these questions are be deviling and they're also. I think require. Us to engage them at various points and yeah. Once the genies out of the bottle. What do you do well as I'm sure you're aware there is a group within the American Geographical Society the network of concern geographers which has been coming forward with petitions and proposals about exactly. These issues specifically about the cooperation of geographers with the military GPS is an example GPS of course was developed within the military then offered other used for surveillance for bombing for all sorts of things geographers of course are very closely involved just like anthropologists with so. What are sometimes called human terrain issues.
What does the military expect to do in particular areas and that raises hard questions which the group is raising and I think should be taken very seriously their petition lists a series of specific proposals. I presume that you're taking account of them and taking them into consideration. I certainly think. You should be and for other professions and similar questions arise then a quite similar way for ants ecology and the anthropologists have taken. Some fairly strong positions about participating and not not participating in military actions and addressing indigenous tribal communities and others have very much the same concern there are. Some cases of human rights which we are. All critically concerned with. They should be on the top of the agenda for everyone that's the question of human survival which is at stake. Now in a way. That it has not been for the roughly 200000 years in which almost a pians have been around as again I'm not telling you anything you don't know but we're. Now well into two new errors in human history the nuclear age again in 1945 the Anthropocene which the American geological the world geological Association.
Now decided to date at roughly the same time after the second mediate last of the Second World War. Where human impact on the environment. That created essentially in geological epoch and these two threats are existential imminent and furthermore we're racing towards magnifying them which is very as. Many times I find it really hard to find words to capture the fact. That with eyes open knowing what the consequences are the United States is now separating itself from the world and racing towards the precipice of environmental catastrophe the other great issue nuclear war tensions are building up at the Russian border that's been increasing since 1991. When the Soviet Union collapsed NATO began to expand senior statesman like George Kennan and others warned right away. That NATO expansion is a disaster in the making for pretty obvious reasons. You can simply ask.
You know a lot as is you know polls depend a lot on how the questions are formulated but if the poll. If the questions are asked in a sort of a rational way then quite typically people prefer a universal health care sometimes with great enthusiasm so toward the end of the Reagan years for example about 70% of the population thought. That there should be a constitutional guarantee of health care should be in the Constitution and about 40% of the population photo was already in the Constitution. Nobody knows what's in the Constitution except.
That it's a holy book with. Everything good and so must have universal health care and there have been results for like. That for a long time. When it's it's not discussed very much in the press but when. It is the commentary is interesting so for example. When Carey was running for president the last debate was on social and economic policy. You look back at the times commentary. It says but Kerry didn't bring up. Any notion like public health care national health care and the reason. They said is interesting words. They said it has two little political support which is correct. It is not supported by those who determine policy the financial institutions the pharmaceutical institutions. They don't support. It doesn't have political support there is something called a population but their views are not political support and this of course bears on the first component of the Universal Declaration civets civil and political rights and about that there's quite a lot to say but I don't want to throw. It on about it we're already we're already trending into trumpism but we let's back up just a little bit here as. I mentioned.
One of the major themes of our meeting today is is is is human rights but not not only the current provision but but how. They might be applied to to the day-to-day activities of of academics of people conducting research people trying to anticipate. What the outcomes of their research would be and in how to how to manage. That those kinds of tricky questions in terms of the practice of say geography the practice of philosophy of practice of many many types of science and of course with lots of new technologies coming up it's it's we run quickly into unintended consequences of technologies. We run quickly into unforeseen consequences and of course there's the wide range of intended consequences which or those that should have been foreseen and this is somewhat close to to my own heart. Because isn't earlier in my career. I developed the Dalton patent their first real-time interactive GPS and GIS systems geographic information systems which which at that time had broad-based environmental applications.
That they were developed for and now. That that you know. Most were used. Now heavily in surveillance and they're used heavily in areas which essentially in modern warfare in fact. Most of our wars are fought. Now basically as. One big large scale real-time interactive GPS GIS system and so. These these questions are be deviling and they're also. I think require. Us to engage them at various points and yeah. Once the genies out of the bottle. What do you do well as I'm sure you're aware there is a group within the American Geographical Society the network of concern geographers which has been coming forward with petitions and proposals about exactly. These issues specifically about the cooperation of geographers with the military GPS is an example GPS of course was developed within the military then offered other used for surveillance for bombing for all sorts of things geographers of course are very closely involved just like anthropologists with so. What are sometimes called human terrain issues.
What does the military expect to do in particular areas and that raises hard questions which the group is raising and I think should be taken very seriously their petition lists a series of specific proposals. I presume that you're taking account of them and taking them into consideration. I certainly think. You should be and for other professions and similar questions arise then a quite similar way for ants ecology and the anthropologists have taken. Some fairly strong positions about participating and not not participating in military actions and addressing indigenous tribal communities and others have very much the same concern there are. Some cases of human rights which we are. All critically concerned with. They should be on the top of the agenda for everyone that's the question of human survival which is at stake. Now in a way. That it has not been for the roughly 200000 years in which almost a pians have been around as again I'm not telling you anything you don't know but we're. Now well into two new errors in human history the nuclear age again in 1945 the Anthropocene which the American geological the world geological Association.
Now decided to date at roughly the same time after the second mediate last of the Second World War. Where human impact on the environment. That created essentially in geological epoch and these two threats are existential imminent and furthermore we're racing towards magnifying them which is very as. Many times I find it really hard to find words to capture the fact. That with eyes open knowing what the consequences are the United States is now separating itself from the world and racing towards the precipice of environmental catastrophe the other great issue nuclear war tensions are building up at the Russian border that's been increasing since 1991. When the Soviet Union collapsed NATO began to expand senior statesman like George Kennan and others warned right away. That NATO expansion is a disaster in the making for pretty obvious reasons. You can simply ask.
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