Comments on: My wife and I argue about Chomsky http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html The War of Ideas in the Middle East Mon, 28 May 2012 09:13:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: Dan Kelly http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27091 Dan Kelly Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27091 <p><i>Remember humanity and forget about everything else.</i></p> <p>That's a beautiful quote from Einstein. I'm reminded of John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach: </p> <p><b>"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights."</b></p> <p>I fail miserably in this regard everyday. <br /> </p> Remember humanity and forget about everything else.

That's a beautiful quote from Einstein. I'm reminded of John Wooden, legendary UCLA basketball coach:

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights."

I fail miserably in this regard everyday.

]]> By: Todd http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27092 Todd Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27092 <p>And someone recently called me naive on Jewish clannishness and suggested I read Chomsky! Some things are so evident that Chomsky doesn't need to spell it out for me.</p> And someone recently called me naive on Jewish clannishness and suggested I read Chomsky! Some things are so evident that Chomsky doesn't need to spell it out for me.

]]> By: LD http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27093 LD Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27093 <p>What's the name of the book, Phil? (The Chomsky biography.)</p> What's the name of the book, Phil? (The Chomsky biography.)

]]> By: Richard Witty http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27094 Richard Witty Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27094 <p>I'm not certain that Chomsky's motivation for issues to get interested in necessarily were his relation with his parents. Thats a speculation.</p> <p>Consideration is important, ALWAYS.</p> <p>Even if one differs in specific conclusion, its still up to the individual to determine HOW and what specifically to make an issue of.</p> <p>Picking fights, multiplying fights, rationalizing positions on the basis of what you're angry or irritated by, is NOT THE SAME as thought or even dissent.</p> I'm not certain that Chomsky's motivation for issues to get interested in necessarily were his relation with his parents. Thats a speculation.

Consideration is important, ALWAYS.

Even if one differs in specific conclusion, its still up to the individual to determine HOW and what specifically to make an issue of.

Picking fights, multiplying fights, rationalizing positions on the basis of what you're angry or irritated by, is NOT THE SAME as thought or even dissent.

]]> By: chris berel http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27095 chris berel Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27095 <p>Chomsky, while the formost linguist alive today, is a failure outside of that field.</p> <p>I do not expect advice from a master plumber on how to lay concrete. He may know something about it, but applying his plumbing knowledge to the field is a waste of everyones time. And that is what Chomsky has done regarding the A/I conflict, wasted everyone's time. </p> Chomsky, while the formost linguist alive today, is a failure outside of that field.

I do not expect advice from a master plumber on how to lay concrete. He may know something about it, but applying his plumbing knowledge to the field is a waste of everyones time. And that is what Chomsky has done regarding the A/I conflict, wasted everyone's time.

]]> By: Dan Kelly http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27096 Dan Kelly Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27096 <p>I don't know that Chomsky's ideas on linguistics are as universally accepted as he and his advocates claim they are. There is much debate within the field, as far as I can tell (I've admittedly only done cursory research on this).</p> <p>B.F. Skinner's ideas on behaviorism always resonated more with me, from a common sense standpoint, than Chomsky's. Noam has of course completely dismissed Skinner in a rather mean-spirited way - par for the course with Noam when someone's ideas conflict with his own.</p> I don't know that Chomsky's ideas on linguistics are as universally accepted as he and his advocates claim they are. There is much debate within the field, as far as I can tell (I've admittedly only done cursory research on this).

B.F. Skinner's ideas on behaviorism always resonated more with me, from a common sense standpoint, than Chomsky's. Noam has of course completely dismissed Skinner in a rather mean-spirited way – par for the course with Noam when someone's ideas conflict with his own.

]]> By: Rowan http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27097 Rowan Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27097 <p>That was also the case with Norman Mailer and the Jewish religion. He wouldn't write against the religion for fear of hurting his mother. I posted the reference and quote on here somewhere a month of two ago.</p> That was also the case with Norman Mailer and the Jewish religion. He wouldn't write against the religion for fear of hurting his mother. I posted the reference and quote on here somewhere a month of two ago.

]]> By: Richard Witty http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27098 Richard Witty Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27098 <p>I think his philosophical assumptions are interesting and suggestive of a conflict between almost a pre-exodus vs post-exodus consciousness and interpersonal relations from a political perspective.</p> <p>But, he only articulates exceptions to mutual respect, rather than proposals that reconcile actual conflicts.</p> <p>Actual conflicts include MUTUAL wrongs, and in addressing only the wrongs relative to a single party, he presents half a coin.</p> <p>He repeatedly states "what other explanation can there be?" as some defense of his own perspective, but entirely without considering or articulating other explanations.</p> <p>Its an intellectual vanity and a stacked game.</p> <p>Chomsky has fawning followers, largely because they similarly have not had to engage "what do you propose?" Similar to Phil's role as journalist, of a nearly solely exagerated critical stripe.</p> I think his philosophical assumptions are interesting and suggestive of a conflict between almost a pre-exodus vs post-exodus consciousness and interpersonal relations from a political perspective.

But, he only articulates exceptions to mutual respect, rather than proposals that reconcile actual conflicts.

Actual conflicts include MUTUAL wrongs, and in addressing only the wrongs relative to a single party, he presents half a coin.

He repeatedly states "what other explanation can there be?" as some defense of his own perspective, but entirely without considering or articulating other explanations.

Its an intellectual vanity and a stacked game.

Chomsky has fawning followers, largely because they similarly have not had to engage "what do you propose?" Similar to Phil's role as journalist, of a nearly solely exagerated critical stripe.

]]> By: Dan Kelly http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27099 Dan Kelly Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27099 <p><i>What's the name of the book, Phil? (The Chomsky biography.)</i></p> <p>Robert Barsky wrote two different bios of Chomsky:</p> <p>"The Chomsky Effect: A Radical Works Beyond the Ivory Tower" and<br /> "Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent"</p> What's the name of the book, Phil? (The Chomsky biography.)

Robert Barsky wrote two different bios of Chomsky:

"The Chomsky Effect: A Radical Works Beyond the Ivory Tower" and
"Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent"

]]> By: Citizen http://mondoweiss.net/2009/03/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html/comment-page-1#comment-27100 Citizen Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/07/my-wife-and-i-argue-about-chomsky.html#comment-27100 <p> When he was young he had major problems when he heard about the fire bombing<br /> of Dresden and the nuking of Hiroshima, for example. At the time nobody around him gave it a thought, except to cheer on the home team. Although Witty's assessment of Chomsky is valid, as far as it goes, he's <br /> always written against (usually hypocritical) mainstream opinion, and done it consistently and with extensive scholarship. He also stated that if the world's leaders at the time had also been put before a Nuremberg Court, all would have been executed. Power always gets to speak. Chomsky spoke truth against (hypocritical) Power. The thing he most admired about the USA was its support of free speech. <br /> Witty articulates the usual criticism of Chomsky. It also happens to be a half-baked criticism of Jesus Christ.</p> When he was young he had major problems when he heard about the fire bombing
of Dresden and the nuking of Hiroshima, for example. At the time nobody around him gave it a thought, except to cheer on the home team. Although Witty's assessment of Chomsky is valid, as far as it goes, he's
always written against (usually hypocritical) mainstream opinion, and done it consistently and with extensive scholarship. He also stated that if the world's leaders at the time had also been put before a Nuremberg Court, all would have been executed. Power always gets to speak. Chomsky spoke truth against (hypocritical) Power. The thing he most admired about the USA was its support of free speech.
Witty articulates the usual criticism of Chomsky. It also happens to be a half-baked criticism of Jesus Christ.

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