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A review by lord_tyronisis
The Anti-Chomsky Reader by Peter Collier, David Horowitz
4.0
As someone who read a LOT of Chomsky and felt irritation the entire time, this book was extremely refreshing. It’s interesting to note throughout the essays a common theme of Chomsky engaging in dishonest language and, frankly, Doublethink throughout his work. In reading his books I was always troubled by his use of particular words and phrases that stacked premises in his favor or tacitly swept alternative views under the rug. It particularly troubled me because he’s an expert in language and likely knows what he is doing.
On that note, the final chapter about Chomsky’s work in language was quite interesting though parts of it went over my head due to the technical aspects of the study.
I do have a few criticism of this book though. Some of the commentary on US foreign relations seemed rather reductive. The authors glance over the crimes of the Pinochet regime in Chile in a disconcerting way. In another example, they don’t present the full story. Al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups did and do attack the governments of various middle eastern countries that are allied with the US. Saudi Arabia is certainly a target of the ire of Al-Qaeda.
All that said, over all a very interesting book.
On that note, the final chapter about Chomsky’s work in language was quite interesting though parts of it went over my head due to the technical aspects of the study.
I do have a few criticism of this book though. Some of the commentary on US foreign relations seemed rather reductive. The authors glance over the crimes of the Pinochet regime in Chile in a disconcerting way. In another example, they don’t present the full story. Al-Qaeda and other Islamist groups did and do attack the governments of various middle eastern countries that are allied with the US. Saudi Arabia is certainly a target of the ire of Al-Qaeda.
All that said, over all a very interesting book.