1 00:00:48,714 --> 00:00:52,450 During the great depression, which I'm old enough to remember, there was-- 2 00:00:52,452 --> 00:00:55,619 And most of my family were unemployed working class... 3 00:00:55,621 --> 00:00:57,354 There wasn't-- it was bad, 4 00:00:57,356 --> 00:00:59,756 Much worse subjectively than today. 5 00:00:59,758 --> 00:01:02,725 But there was an expectation that things were going to get better. 6 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,494 There was a real sense of hopefulness. 7 00:01:06,496 --> 00:01:07,795 There isn't today. 8 00:01:17,638 --> 00:01:21,407 Inequality is really unprecedented. 9 00:01:21,409 --> 00:01:25,611 If you look at total inequality, it's like the worst periods of american history. 10 00:01:31,651 --> 00:01:40,156 The inequality comes from the extreme wealth in a tiny sector of the population, 11 00:01:40,158 --> 00:01:41,390 A fraction of one percent. 12 00:01:44,827 --> 00:01:48,162 There were periods like the gilded age in the '20s 13 00:01:48,164 --> 00:01:50,197 And the roaring '90s and so on, 14 00:01:50,199 --> 00:01:52,732 When a situation developed rather similar to this. 15 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,168 Now, this period's extreme... 16 00:01:56,170 --> 00:01:58,770 Because if you look at the wealth distribution, 17 00:01:58,772 --> 00:02:03,307 The inequality mostly comes from super wealth. 18 00:02:07,211 --> 00:02:11,246 Literally, the top 1/10th of a percent are just super wealthy. 19 00:02:12,781 --> 00:02:16,316 Not only is it extremely unjust in itself... 20 00:02:16,318 --> 00:02:20,419 Inequality has highly negative consequences on the society as a whole... 21 00:02:22,722 --> 00:02:28,393 Because the very fact of inequality has a corrosive, harmful effect on democracy. 22 00:02:34,232 --> 00:02:36,833 You open by talking about the american dream. 23 00:02:36,835 --> 00:02:39,268 Part of the american dream is class mobility. 24 00:02:39,270 --> 00:02:47,142 You get rich. It was possible for a worker to get a decent job, buy a home... 25 00:02:47,144 --> 00:02:49,877 Get a car, have his children go to school. 26 00:02:52,213 --> 00:02:53,279 It's all collapsed. 27 00:03:07,860 --> 00:03:12,830 Imagine yourself in an outside position, looking from mars. 28 00:03:13,765 --> 00:03:14,798 What do you see? 29 00:03:40,657 --> 00:03:44,793 In the United States, there are professed values like democracy. 30 00:03:51,566 --> 00:03:56,202 In a democracy, public opinion is going to have some influence on policy. 31 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,543 And then, the government carries out actions determined by the population. 32 00:04:05,545 --> 00:04:07,311 That's what democracy means. 33 00:04:11,849 --> 00:04:15,985 It's important to understand that privileged and powerful sectors 34 00:04:15,987 --> 00:04:21,223 Have never liked democracy and for very good reasons. 35 00:04:21,225 --> 00:04:24,993 Democracy puts power into the hands of the general population 36 00:04:24,995 --> 00:04:26,627 And takes it away from them. 37 00:04:28,830 --> 00:04:32,632 It's kind of a principle of concentration of wealth and power. 38 00:04:48,348 --> 00:04:52,384 Concentration of wealth yields concentration of power... 39 00:04:52,386 --> 00:04:57,021 Particularly so as the cost of elections skyrockets, 40 00:04:57,023 --> 00:05:03,627 Which kind of forces the political parties into the pockets of major corporations. 41 00:05:03,629 --> 00:05:08,465 And this political power quickly translates into legislation 42 00:05:08,467 --> 00:05:11,401 That increases the concentration of wealth. 43 00:05:11,403 --> 00:05:14,937 So fiscal policy like tax policy... 44 00:05:14,939 --> 00:05:17,906 Deregulation... 45 00:05:17,908 --> 00:05:22,644 Rules of corporate governance and a whole variety of measures... 46 00:05:22,646 --> 00:05:27,782 Political measures, designed to increase the concentration of wealth and power, 47 00:05:27,784 --> 00:05:31,618 Which, in turn, yields more political power to do the same thing. 48 00:05:33,721 --> 00:05:35,521 And that's what we've been seeing. 49 00:05:39,592 --> 00:05:42,460 So we have this kind of vicious cycle in progress. 50 00:05:47,766 --> 00:05:54,338 You know, actually, it is so traditional that it was described by adam smith in 1776. 51 00:05:54,340 --> 00:05:56,506 You read the famous "wealth of nations." 52 00:06:00,544 --> 00:06:04,013 He says in England, the principal architects of policy 53 00:06:04,015 --> 00:06:06,015 Are the people who own the society. 54 00:06:06,017 --> 00:06:09,818 In his day, merchants and manufacturers. 55 00:06:09,820 --> 00:06:14,989 And they make sure that their own interests are very well cared for, 56 00:06:14,991 --> 00:06:19,560 However grievous the impact on the people of England or others. 57 00:06:21,829 --> 00:06:24,530 Now, it's not merchants and manufacturers, 58 00:06:24,532 --> 00:06:27,432 It's financial institutions and multinational corporations. 59 00:06:28,767 --> 00:06:33,570 The people who adam smith called the "masters of mankind," 60 00:06:33,572 --> 00:06:38,808 And they're following the vile maxim, "all for ourselves and nothing for anyone else." 61 00:06:41,845 --> 00:06:46,815 They're just going to pursue policies that benefit them and harm everyone else. 62 00:06:46,817 --> 00:06:52,720 And in the absence of a general popular reaction, that's pretty much what you'd expect. 63 00:07:03,631 --> 00:07:08,401 Right through american history, there's been an ongoing clash... 64 00:07:08,403 --> 00:07:14,472 Between pressure for more freedom and democracy coming from below, 65 00:07:14,474 --> 00:07:19,643 And efforts at elite control and domination coming from above. 66 00:07:24,415 --> 00:07:26,148 It goes back to the founding of the country. 67 00:07:29,852 --> 00:07:31,953 James madison, the main framer, 68 00:07:31,955 --> 00:07:37,124 Who was as much of a believer in democracy as anybody in the world in that day, 69 00:07:37,126 --> 00:07:41,128 Nevertheless felt that the United States system should be designed, 70 00:07:41,130 --> 00:07:44,898 And indeed with his initiative was designed, 71 00:07:44,900 --> 00:07:48,835 So that power should be in the hands of the wealthy... 72 00:07:48,837 --> 00:07:52,872 Because the wealthy are the more responsible set of men. 73 00:07:52,874 --> 00:07:56,742 And, therefore, the structure of the formal constitutional system 74 00:07:56,744 --> 00:07:59,611 Placed most power in the hands of the senate. 75 00:07:59,613 --> 00:08:02,614 Remember, the senate was not elected in those days. 76 00:08:02,616 --> 00:08:04,849 It was selected from the wealthy. 77 00:08:04,851 --> 00:08:09,753 Men, as madison put it, "had sympathy for property owners and their rights." 78 00:08:12,490 --> 00:08:14,958 If you read the debates at the constitutional convention... 79 00:08:16,727 --> 00:08:20,496 Madison said, "the major concern of the society has to be 80 00:08:20,498 --> 00:08:23,799 To protect the minority of the opulent against the majority." 81 00:08:27,670 --> 00:08:29,470 And he had arguments. 82 00:08:29,472 --> 00:08:32,039 Suppose everyone had a vote freely. 83 00:08:32,041 --> 00:08:35,742 He said, "well, the majority of the poor would get together 84 00:08:35,744 --> 00:08:38,978 And they would organize to take away the property of the rich." 85 00:08:38,980 --> 00:08:42,781 And, he said, "that would obviously be unjust, so you can't have that." 86 00:08:42,783 --> 00:08:46,117 So, therefore the constitutional system has to be set up to prevent democracy. 87 00:08:57,928 --> 00:09:02,965 It's of some interest that this debate has a hoary tradition. 88 00:09:02,967 --> 00:09:07,736 Goes back to the first major book on political systems, aristotle's "politics." 89 00:09:09,872 --> 00:09:13,140 He says, "of all of them, the best is democracy," 90 00:09:13,142 --> 00:09:17,143 But then he points out exactly the flaw that madison pointed out. 91 00:09:20,714 --> 00:09:23,515 If athens were a democracy for free men, 92 00:09:23,517 --> 00:09:26,150 The poor would get together and take away the property of the rich. 93 00:09:27,986 --> 00:09:31,655 Well, same dilemma, they had opposite solutions. 94 00:09:31,657 --> 00:09:35,659 Aristotle proposed what we would nowadays call a welfare state. 95 00:09:35,661 --> 00:09:37,494 He said, "try to reduce inequality." 96 00:09:42,599 --> 00:09:45,500 So, same problem, opposite solutions. 97 00:09:45,502 --> 00:09:48,903 One is reduce inequality, you won't have this problem. 98 00:09:48,905 --> 00:09:50,704 The other is reduce democracy. 99 00:09:57,678 --> 00:09:59,779 If you look at the history of the United States... 100 00:09:59,781 --> 00:10:03,015 It's a constant struggle between these two tendencies. 101 00:10:03,017 --> 00:10:07,152 A democratizing tendency that's mostly coming from the population, 102 00:10:07,154 --> 00:10:13,258 And you get this constant battle going on, periods of regression, periods of progress. 103 00:10:13,260 --> 00:10:18,630 The 1960s for example, were a period of significant democratization. 104 00:10:23,668 --> 00:10:25,068 [crowd clamoring] 105 00:10:33,076 --> 00:10:37,112 Sectors of the population that were usually passive 106 00:10:37,114 --> 00:10:41,883 And apathetic became organized, active, started pressing their demands. 107 00:10:46,955 --> 00:10:52,825 And they became more and more involved in decision-making, activism and so on. 108 00:10:54,093 --> 00:10:56,861 It just changed consciousness in a lot of ways. 109 00:11:03,969 --> 00:11:08,037 If democracy means freedom, why aren't our people free? 110 00:11:08,039 --> 00:11:11,340 If democracy means justice, why don't we have justice? 111 00:11:11,342 --> 00:11:15,711 If democracy means equality, why don't we have equality? 112 00:11:15,713 --> 00:11:20,949 This inhuman system of exploitation will change, 113 00:11:20,951 --> 00:11:24,986 But only if we force it to change, and force it together. 114 00:11:24,988 --> 00:11:26,721 Concern for the environment. 115 00:11:26,723 --> 00:11:29,023 [walter cronkite] a unique day in american history is ending, 116 00:11:29,025 --> 00:11:34,594 A day set aside for a nationwide outpouring of mankind seeking its own survival. 117 00:11:34,596 --> 00:11:39,899 [dr. Benjamin spock] I say to those who criticize us for the militancy of our dissent 118 00:11:39,901 --> 00:11:42,234 That if they are serious about law and order, 119 00:11:42,236 --> 00:11:45,003 They should first provide it for the vietnamese people, 120 00:11:45,005 --> 00:11:48,206 For our own black people and for our own poor people. 121 00:11:48,208 --> 00:11:49,907 Concern for other people. 122 00:11:49,909 --> 00:11:51,976 [dr. Martin luther king] one day we must ask the question, 123 00:11:51,978 --> 00:11:54,712 "why are there 40 million poor people in america?" 124 00:11:54,714 --> 00:11:57,715 When you begin to ask that question, 125 00:11:57,717 --> 00:12:00,718 You're raising a question about the economic system, 126 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,953 About a broader distribution of wealth, 127 00:12:02,955 --> 00:12:07,490 The question of restructuring the whole of american society. 128 00:12:07,492 --> 00:12:09,291 These are all civilizing effects... 129 00:12:12,728 --> 00:12:14,161 And that caused great fear. 130 00:12:29,810 --> 00:12:34,780 I hadn't anticipated the power-- 131 00:12:34,782 --> 00:12:38,483 I should've, but I didn't anticipate the power of the reaction 132 00:12:38,485 --> 00:12:40,952 To these civilizing effects of the '60s. 133 00:12:40,954 --> 00:12:46,256 I did not anticipate the strength of the reaction to it. 134 00:12:49,827 --> 00:12:51,127 The backlash. 135 00:12:59,902 --> 00:13:04,205 There has been an enormous concentrated, coordinated... 136 00:13:04,207 --> 00:13:06,941 Business offensive beginning in the '70s 137 00:13:06,943 --> 00:13:10,544 To try to beat back the egalitarian efforts 138 00:13:10,546 --> 00:13:12,779 That went right through the nixon years. 139 00:13:12,781 --> 00:13:20,119 Over on the right, you see it in things like the famous powell memorandum... 140 00:13:22,255 --> 00:13:25,156 Sent to the chamber of commerce, the major business lobby, 141 00:13:25,158 --> 00:13:28,159 By later supreme court justice powell... 142 00:13:28,161 --> 00:13:32,229 Warning them that business is losing control over the society... 143 00:13:35,266 --> 00:13:38,434 And something has to be done to counter these forces. 144 00:13:38,436 --> 00:13:41,036 Of course, he puts it in terms of defense, 145 00:13:41,038 --> 00:13:43,471 "defending ourselves against an outside power." 146 00:13:49,377 --> 00:13:54,180 But if you look at it, it's a call for business to use its control over resources 147 00:13:54,182 --> 00:13:58,250 To carry out a major offensive to beat back this democratizing wave. 148 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,162 Over on the liberal side, there's something exactly similar. 149 00:14:12,164 --> 00:14:17,934 The first major report of the trilateral commission 150 00:14:17,936 --> 00:14:21,470 Is concerned with this. It's called "the crisis of democracy." 151 00:14:23,372 --> 00:14:26,240 Trilateral commission is liberal internationalists... 152 00:14:26,242 --> 00:14:29,343 Their flavor is indicated by the fact that 153 00:14:29,345 --> 00:14:31,545 They pretty much staffed the carter administration. 154 00:14:35,917 --> 00:14:40,520 They were also appalled by the democratizing tendencies of the '60s, 155 00:14:40,522 --> 00:14:43,923 And thought we have to react to it. 156 00:14:43,925 --> 00:14:47,593 They were concerned that there was an "excess of democracy" developing. 157 00:14:51,164 --> 00:14:56,334 Previously passive and obedient parts of the population, 158 00:14:56,336 --> 00:14:58,502 What are sometimes called, "the special interests," 159 00:14:58,504 --> 00:15:02,506 Were beginning to organize and try to enter the political arena, 160 00:15:02,508 --> 00:15:06,409 And they said, "that imposes too much pressure on the state. 161 00:15:06,411 --> 00:15:08,878 It can't deal with all these pressures." 162 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:14,082 So, therefore, they have to return to passivity and become depoliticized. 163 00:15:14,084 --> 00:15:15,950 [chanting] 164 00:15:15,952 --> 00:15:18,919 They were particularly concerned with what was happening to young people. 165 00:15:18,921 --> 00:15:20,987 "the young people are getting too free and independent." 166 00:15:20,989 --> 00:15:23,122 [young man] none of us will beget any violence. 167 00:15:23,124 --> 00:15:27,326 If there's any violence, it will be because of the police. 168 00:15:27,328 --> 00:15:31,330 [noam chomsky] the way they put it, there's failure on the part of the schools, 169 00:15:31,332 --> 00:15:33,665 The universities, the churches... 170 00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:37,969 The institutions responsible for the "indoctrination of the young." 171 00:15:37,971 --> 00:15:39,403 Their phrase, not mine. 172 00:15:44,509 --> 00:15:47,911 If you look at their study, there's one interest they never mention... 173 00:15:47,913 --> 00:15:53,216 And that makes sense, they're not special interest, they're the national interest, 174 00:15:53,218 --> 00:15:55,585 Kind of by definition. So they're okay. 175 00:15:55,587 --> 00:16:00,089 They're allowed to, you know, have lobbyists, buy campaigns, 176 00:16:00,091 --> 00:16:03,092 Staff the executive, make decisions, that's fine. 177 00:16:03,094 --> 00:16:06,662 But it's the rest, the special interests, the general population, 178 00:16:06,664 --> 00:16:08,163 Who have to be subdued. 179 00:16:08,165 --> 00:16:09,397 [clamoring] 180 00:16:15,670 --> 00:16:17,237 Well, that's the spectrum. 181 00:16:17,239 --> 00:16:21,241 It's the kind of ideological level of the backlash. 182 00:16:21,243 --> 00:16:25,178 But the major backlash, which was in parallel to this... 183 00:16:25,180 --> 00:16:27,480 Was just redesigning the economy. 184 00:16:41,694 --> 00:16:48,599 Since the 1970s, there's been a concerted effort on the part of the masters of mankind, 185 00:16:48,601 --> 00:16:50,567 The owners of the society, 186 00:16:50,569 --> 00:16:54,237 To shift the economy in two crucial respects. 187 00:16:54,239 --> 00:16:59,641 One, to increase the role of financial institutions, 188 00:16:59,643 --> 00:17:03,411 Banks, investment firms, so on... 189 00:17:03,413 --> 00:17:05,579 Insurance companies. 190 00:17:05,581 --> 00:17:09,749 By 2007, right before the latest crash, 191 00:17:09,751 --> 00:17:13,252 They had literally 40% of corporate profits... 192 00:17:16,389 --> 00:17:18,289 Far beyond anything in the past. 193 00:17:26,697 --> 00:17:30,433 Back in the 1950s, as for many years before, 194 00:17:30,435 --> 00:17:34,236 The United States economy was based largely on production. 195 00:17:34,238 --> 00:17:38,473 The United States was the great manufacturing center of the world. 196 00:17:45,346 --> 00:17:49,716 Financial institutions used to be a relatively small part of the economy 197 00:17:49,718 --> 00:17:54,686 And their task was to distribute unused assets like, 198 00:17:54,688 --> 00:17:58,389 Say, bank savings to productive activity. 199 00:17:58,391 --> 00:18:01,258 [man] the bank always has on hand a reserve of money 200 00:18:01,260 --> 00:18:03,760 Received from the stockholders and depositors. 201 00:18:03,762 --> 00:18:06,295 On the basis of these cash reserves, 202 00:18:06,297 --> 00:18:11,433 A bank can create credit. So besides providing a safe place for depositing money, 203 00:18:11,435 --> 00:18:16,471 A bank serves a community by making additional credit available for many purposes. 204 00:18:16,473 --> 00:18:20,107 For a manufacturer to meet his payroll during slack selling periods, 205 00:18:20,109 --> 00:18:23,110 For a merchant to enlarge and remodel his store, 206 00:18:23,112 --> 00:18:27,347 And for many other good reasons why people are always needing more credit 207 00:18:27,349 --> 00:18:29,782 Than they have immediately available. 208 00:18:29,784 --> 00:18:31,817 [chomsky] that's a contribution to the economy. 209 00:18:33,286 --> 00:18:35,353 Regulatory system was established. 210 00:18:35,355 --> 00:18:37,555 Banks were regulated. 211 00:18:37,557 --> 00:18:40,291 The commercial and investment banks were separated, 212 00:18:40,293 --> 00:18:46,596 Cut back their risky investment practices that could harm private people. 213 00:18:46,598 --> 00:18:51,701 There had been, remember, no financial crashes during the period of regulation. 214 00:18:51,703 --> 00:18:54,437 By the 1970s, that changed. 215 00:19:03,646 --> 00:19:08,349 You started getting that huge increase in the flows of speculative capital, 216 00:19:08,351 --> 00:19:10,651 Just astronomically increase, 217 00:19:10,653 --> 00:19:13,253 Enormous changes in the financial sector 218 00:19:13,255 --> 00:19:17,490 From traditional banks to risky investments, 219 00:19:17,492 --> 00:19:22,394 Complex financial instruments, money manipulations and so on. 220 00:19:22,396 --> 00:19:27,865 Increasingly, the business of the country isn't production, at least not here. 221 00:19:29,601 --> 00:19:32,869 The primary business here is business. 222 00:19:32,871 --> 00:19:36,172 You can even see it in the choice of directors. 223 00:19:36,174 --> 00:19:41,544 A director of a major american corporation back in the '50s and '60s 224 00:19:41,546 --> 00:19:46,482 Was very likely to be an engineer, somebody who graduated from a place like mit, 225 00:19:46,484 --> 00:19:48,550 Maybe industrial management. 226 00:19:48,552 --> 00:19:52,787 More recently, the directorship and the top managerial positions 227 00:19:52,789 --> 00:19:54,889 Are people who came out of business schools, 228 00:19:54,891 --> 00:19:58,392 Learned the financial trickery of various kinds, and so on. 229 00:20:00,228 --> 00:20:04,397 By the 1970s, say general electric could make more profit 230 00:20:04,399 --> 00:20:08,801 Playing games with money than you could by producing in the United States. 231 00:20:12,639 --> 00:20:14,873 You have to remember that general electric 232 00:20:14,875 --> 00:20:18,443 Is substantially a financial institution today. 233 00:20:18,445 --> 00:20:23,748 It makes half its profits just by moving money around in complicated ways. 234 00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:28,819 And it's very unclear that they're doing anything that's of value to the economy. 235 00:20:28,821 --> 00:20:32,789 So that's one phenomenon, what's called financialization of the economy. 236 00:20:35,793 --> 00:20:38,728 Going along with that is the off-shoring of production. 237 00:20:56,379 --> 00:20:59,280 The trade system was reconstructed 238 00:20:59,282 --> 00:21:02,883 With a very explicit design of putting 239 00:21:02,885 --> 00:21:06,486 Working people in competition with one another all over the world. 240 00:21:08,455 --> 00:21:13,425 And what it's lead to is a reduction in the share of income 241 00:21:13,427 --> 00:21:16,895 On the part of working people. 242 00:21:16,897 --> 00:21:20,531 It's been particularly striking in the United States, but it's happening worldwide. 243 00:21:20,533 --> 00:21:23,467 It means that an american worker's in competition 244 00:21:23,469 --> 00:21:25,835 With the super-exploited worker in china. 245 00:21:29,372 --> 00:21:32,841 Meanwhile, highly paid professionals are protected. 246 00:21:32,843 --> 00:21:37,512 They're not placed in competition with the rest of the world. Far from it. 247 00:21:37,514 --> 00:21:40,581 And, of course, the capital is free to move. 248 00:21:40,583 --> 00:21:44,985 Workers aren't free to move, labor can't move, but capital can. 249 00:21:44,987 --> 00:21:48,755 Well, again, going back to the classics like adam smith, 250 00:21:48,757 --> 00:21:52,325 As he pointed out, free circulation of labor 251 00:21:52,327 --> 00:21:55,895 Is the foundation of any free trade system, 252 00:21:55,897 --> 00:21:58,764 But workers are pretty much stuck. 253 00:21:58,766 --> 00:22:01,633 The wealthy and the privileged are protected, 254 00:22:01,635 --> 00:22:03,801 So you get obvious consequences. 255 00:22:03,803 --> 00:22:06,002 And they're recognized and, in fact, praised. 256 00:22:09,673 --> 00:22:12,574 Policy is designed to increase insecurity. 257 00:22:13,909 --> 00:22:16,844 Alan greenspan. When he testified to congress, 258 00:22:16,846 --> 00:22:21,481 He explained his success in running the economy 259 00:22:21,483 --> 00:22:26,752 As based on what he called, "greater worker insecurity." 260 00:22:26,754 --> 00:22:32,023 A typical restraint on compensation increases has been evident for a few years now, 261 00:22:32,025 --> 00:22:35,926 But as I outlined in some detail in testimony last month, 262 00:22:35,928 --> 00:22:39,796 I believe that job insecurity has played the dominant role. 263 00:22:39,798 --> 00:22:44,433 Keep workers insecure, they're going to be under control. 264 00:22:44,435 --> 00:22:48,603 They are not going to ask for, say, decent wages... 265 00:22:48,605 --> 00:22:50,905 Or decent working conditions... 266 00:22:50,907 --> 00:22:55,643 Or the opportunity of free association, meaning unionize. 267 00:22:55,645 --> 00:23:00,514 Now, for the masters of mankind, that's fine. They make their profits. 268 00:23:00,516 --> 00:23:02,949 But for the population, it's devastating. 269 00:23:05,018 --> 00:23:08,854 These two processes, financialization and off-shoring 270 00:23:08,856 --> 00:23:13,491 Are part of what lead to the vicious cycle 271 00:23:13,493 --> 00:23:16,760 Of concentration of wealth and concentration of power. 272 00:23:25,669 --> 00:23:29,471 I'm noam chomsky and I'm on the faculty at mit, 273 00:23:29,473 --> 00:23:32,574 And I've been getting more and more heavily involved in 274 00:23:32,576 --> 00:23:34,876 Anti-war activities for the last few years. 275 00:23:41,616 --> 00:23:45,118 Noam chomsky has made two international reputations. 276 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:50,123 The widest is as one of the national leaders of american resistance to the vietnam war. 277 00:23:50,125 --> 00:23:52,925 The deepest is as a professor of linguistics, 278 00:23:52,927 --> 00:23:57,195 Who, before he was 40 years old, had transformed the nature of his subject. 279 00:23:59,798 --> 00:24:02,533 You are identified with the new left, whatever that is. 280 00:24:02,535 --> 00:24:05,501 You certainly have been an activist as well as a writer. 281 00:24:08,204 --> 00:24:10,905 Professor noam chomsky... 282 00:24:10,907 --> 00:24:17,010 Is listed in anybody's catalog as among the half-dozen top heroes of the new left. 283 00:24:17,012 --> 00:24:21,447 The standing he achieved by adopting over the past two or three years 284 00:24:21,449 --> 00:24:23,816 A series of adamant positions 285 00:24:23,818 --> 00:24:29,188 Rejecting at least american foreign policy, at most america itself. 286 00:24:36,562 --> 00:24:41,032 Actually this notion anti-american is quite an interesting one. 287 00:24:41,034 --> 00:24:43,768 It's actually a totalitarian notion. 288 00:24:43,770 --> 00:24:46,570 It isn't used in free societies. 289 00:24:46,572 --> 00:24:52,008 So, if someone in, say, Italy is criticizing berlusconi 290 00:24:52,010 --> 00:24:57,713 Or the corruption of the italian state and so on, they're not called anti-italian. 291 00:24:57,715 --> 00:25:01,883 In fact, if they were called anti-italian, people would collapse in laughter 292 00:25:01,885 --> 00:25:04,218 In the streets of rome or milan. 293 00:25:05,553 --> 00:25:08,688 In totalitarian states the notion's used, 294 00:25:08,690 --> 00:25:13,492 So in the old soviet union dissidents were called anti-soviet. 295 00:25:13,494 --> 00:25:15,660 That was the worst condemnation. 296 00:25:15,662 --> 00:25:20,965 In the brazilian military dictatorship, they were called anti-brazilian. 297 00:25:23,201 --> 00:25:26,203 Now, it's true that in just about every society, 298 00:25:26,205 --> 00:25:29,940 The critics are maligned or mistreated... 299 00:25:29,942 --> 00:25:33,643 Different ways depending on the nature of the society. 300 00:25:33,645 --> 00:25:37,679 Like in the soviet union, say vaclav havel would be imprisoned. 301 00:25:39,181 --> 00:25:43,117 In a u.S. Dependency like el salvador, at the same time, 302 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:49,155 His counterparts would have their brains blown out by u.S.-Run state terrorist forces. 303 00:25:49,157 --> 00:25:52,791 In other societies, they're just condemned or vilified and so on. 304 00:25:52,793 --> 00:25:58,629 In the United States, one of the terms of abuse is "anti-american." 305 00:25:58,631 --> 00:26:01,231 There's a couple of others, like "marxist." 306 00:26:01,233 --> 00:26:04,601 There's an array of terms of abuse. 307 00:26:04,603 --> 00:26:07,704 But in the United States, you have a very high degree of freedom. 308 00:26:07,706 --> 00:26:11,307 So, if you're vilified by some commissars, then who cares? 309 00:26:11,309 --> 00:26:13,642 You go on, you do your work anyway. 310 00:26:13,644 --> 00:26:18,947 These concepts only arise in a culture where, if you criticize 311 00:26:18,949 --> 00:26:22,717 State power, and by state, I mean... 312 00:26:22,719 --> 00:26:26,287 More generally not just government but state corporate power, 313 00:26:26,289 --> 00:26:29,823 If you criticize concentrated power, you're against the society, 314 00:26:29,825 --> 00:26:34,894 That's quite striking that it's used in the United States. 315 00:26:34,896 --> 00:26:38,264 In fact, as far as I know, it's the only democratic society 316 00:26:38,266 --> 00:26:41,133 Where the concept isn't just ridiculed. 317 00:26:41,135 --> 00:26:47,906 It's a sign of elements of the elite culture, which are quite ugly. 318 00:27:29,247 --> 00:27:35,317 The american dream, like many ideals, was partly symbolic, but partly real. 319 00:27:35,319 --> 00:27:41,255 So in the 1950s and 60s, say, there was the biggest growth period 320 00:27:41,257 --> 00:27:44,157 In american economic history. 321 00:27:47,361 --> 00:27:48,894 The golden age. 322 00:27:52,665 --> 00:27:55,967 It was pretty egalitarian growth, 323 00:27:55,969 --> 00:28:00,704 So the lowest fifth of the population was improving about as much as the upper fifth. 324 00:28:02,339 --> 00:28:04,840 And there were some welfare state measures, 325 00:28:04,842 --> 00:28:08,710 Which improved life for much the population. 326 00:28:08,712 --> 00:28:13,281 It was, for example, possible for a black worker 327 00:28:13,283 --> 00:28:16,817 To get a decent job in an auto plant, 328 00:28:16,819 --> 00:28:21,687 Buy a home, get a car, have his children go to school and so on. 329 00:28:21,689 --> 00:28:23,221 And the same across the board. 330 00:28:26,692 --> 00:28:31,429 When the u.S. Was primarily a manufacturing center, 331 00:28:31,431 --> 00:28:36,267 It had to be concerned with its own consumers... Here. 332 00:28:36,269 --> 00:28:43,173 Famously, henry ford raised the salary of his workers so they'd be able to buy cars. 333 00:28:46,210 --> 00:28:50,813 When you're moving into an international "plutonomy," 334 00:28:50,815 --> 00:28:52,981 As the banks like to call it... 335 00:28:52,983 --> 00:28:59,053 The small percentage of the world's population that's gathering increasing wealth... 336 00:28:59,055 --> 00:29:02,890 What happens to american consumers is much less a concern, 337 00:29:02,892 --> 00:29:05,792 Because most of them aren't going to be consuming your products anyway, 338 00:29:05,794 --> 00:29:08,194 At least not on a major basis. 339 00:29:08,196 --> 00:29:11,163 Your goals are, profit in the next quarter, 340 00:29:11,165 --> 00:29:15,300 Even if it's based on financial manipulations... 341 00:29:15,302 --> 00:29:17,101 High salary, high bonuses, 342 00:29:17,103 --> 00:29:19,436 Produce overseas if you have to, 343 00:29:19,438 --> 00:29:24,907 And produce for the wealthy classes here and their counterparts abroad. 344 00:29:24,909 --> 00:29:26,241 What about the rest? 345 00:29:26,243 --> 00:29:29,210 Well, there's a term coming into use for them, too. 346 00:29:29,212 --> 00:29:31,979 They're called the "precariat"... 347 00:29:31,981 --> 00:29:34,481 Precarious proletariat... 348 00:29:34,483 --> 00:29:38,818 The working people of the world who live increasingly precarious lives. 349 00:29:41,021 --> 00:29:43,822 And it's related to the attitude toward the country altogether. 350 00:29:48,994 --> 00:29:53,197 During the period of great growth of the economy... 351 00:29:53,199 --> 00:29:55,866 The '50s and the '60s, but in fact, earlier... 352 00:29:55,868 --> 00:29:59,870 Taxes on the wealthy were far higher. 353 00:29:59,872 --> 00:30:02,372 Corporate taxes were much higher, 354 00:30:02,374 --> 00:30:04,941 Taxes on dividends were much higher... 355 00:30:04,943 --> 00:30:07,810 Simply taxes on wealth were much higher. 356 00:30:07,812 --> 00:30:10,746 The tax system has been redesigned, 357 00:30:10,748 --> 00:30:16,118 So that the taxes that are paid by the very wealthy are reduced 358 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:20,755 And, correspondingly, the tax burden on the rest of the population's increased. 359 00:30:34,135 --> 00:30:37,837 Now the shift is towards trying to keep taxes 360 00:30:37,839 --> 00:30:40,339 Just on wages and on consumption... 361 00:30:40,341 --> 00:30:44,309 Which everyone has to do, not, say, on dividends, which only go to the rich. 362 00:30:48,814 --> 00:30:50,381 The numbers are pretty striking. 363 00:30:59,190 --> 00:31:02,425 Now, there's a pretext-- of course, there's always a pretext. 364 00:31:02,427 --> 00:31:07,296 The pretext in this case is, well, that increases investment and increases jobs, 365 00:31:07,298 --> 00:31:09,398 But there isn't any evidence for that. 366 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,567 If you want to increase investment, give money to the poor and the working people. 367 00:31:12,569 --> 00:31:15,202 They have to keep alive, so they spend their incomes. 368 00:31:15,204 --> 00:31:19,906 That stimulates productions, stimulates investment, leads to job growth and so on. 369 00:31:22,976 --> 00:31:26,445 If you're an ideologist for the masters, you have a different line. 370 00:31:26,447 --> 00:31:28,914 And in fact, right now, it's almost absurd. 371 00:31:28,916 --> 00:31:33,485 Corporations have money coming out of their pockets. 372 00:31:33,487 --> 00:31:38,022 So, in fact, general electric, are paying zero taxes and they have enormous profits. 373 00:31:38,024 --> 00:31:42,326 Let's them take the profit somewhere else, or defer it, but not pay taxes, 374 00:31:42,328 --> 00:31:43,460 And this is common. 375 00:31:46,964 --> 00:31:51,367 The major american corporations shifted the burden of sustaining the society 376 00:31:51,369 --> 00:31:53,369 Onto the rest of the population. 377 00:32:16,926 --> 00:32:19,093 Solidarity is quite dangerous. 378 00:32:19,095 --> 00:32:22,463 From the point of view of the masters, you're only supposed to care about yourself, 379 00:32:22,465 --> 00:32:24,598 Not about other people. 380 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:29,603 This is quite different from the people they claim are their heroes like adam smith, 381 00:32:29,605 --> 00:32:34,240 Who based his whole approach to the economy on the principle that sympathy 382 00:32:34,242 --> 00:32:39,245 Is a fundamental human trait, but that has to be driven out of people's heads. 383 00:32:39,247 --> 00:32:43,949 You've got to be for yourself, follow the vile maxim, "don't care about others," 384 00:32:43,951 --> 00:32:46,418 Which is okay for the rich and powerful, 385 00:32:46,420 --> 00:32:49,187 But is devastating for everyone else. 386 00:32:52,157 --> 00:32:59,196 It's taken a lot of effort to drive these basic human emotions out of people's heads. 387 00:33:02,466 --> 00:33:06,268 And we see it today in policy formation. 388 00:33:06,270 --> 00:33:08,369 For example, in the attack on social security. 389 00:33:11,373 --> 00:33:15,142 Social security is based on a principle. 390 00:33:15,144 --> 00:33:17,944 It's based on a principle of solidarity. 391 00:33:17,946 --> 00:33:20,345 Solidarity, caring for others. 392 00:33:22,981 --> 00:33:27,150 Social security means, "I pay payroll taxes... 393 00:33:27,152 --> 00:33:32,622 So that the widow across town can get something to live on." 394 00:33:32,624 --> 00:33:35,257 For much of the population, that's what they survive on. 395 00:33:36,492 --> 00:33:38,593 It's of no use to the very rich, 396 00:33:38,595 --> 00:33:41,595 So therefore, there's a concerted attempt to destroy it. 397 00:33:44,131 --> 00:33:46,232 One of the ways is defunding it. 398 00:33:46,234 --> 00:33:50,169 You want to destroy some system? First defund it. 399 00:33:50,171 --> 00:33:53,205 Then, it won't work. People will be angry. They want something else. 400 00:33:53,207 --> 00:33:57,575 It's a standard technique for privatizing some system. 401 00:34:01,279 --> 00:34:04,347 We see it in the attack on public schools. 402 00:34:04,349 --> 00:34:09,251 Public schools are based on the principle of solidarity. 403 00:34:09,253 --> 00:34:12,254 I no longer have children in school. They're grown up... 404 00:34:12,256 --> 00:34:14,956 But the principle of solidarity says, 405 00:34:14,958 --> 00:34:20,193 "I happily pay taxes so that the kid across the street can go to school." 406 00:34:20,195 --> 00:34:23,362 Now, that's normal human emotion. 407 00:34:23,364 --> 00:34:25,364 You have to drive that out of people's heads. 408 00:34:25,366 --> 00:34:31,002 "I don't have kids in school. Why should I pay taxes? Privatize it," so on. 409 00:34:34,406 --> 00:34:39,410 The public education system, all the way from kindergarten to higher education, 410 00:34:39,412 --> 00:34:44,247 Is under severe attack. That's one of the jewels of american society. 411 00:34:47,584 --> 00:34:49,318 [inaudible] 412 00:34:54,423 --> 00:34:57,124 You go back to the golden age again... 413 00:34:57,126 --> 00:34:59,693 The great growth period in the '50s and '60s. 414 00:34:59,695 --> 00:35:03,663 A lot of that is based on free public education. 415 00:35:03,665 --> 00:35:08,100 One of the results of the second world war was the gi bill of rights, 416 00:35:08,102 --> 00:35:12,704 Which enabled veterans, and remember, that's a large part of the population then, 417 00:35:12,706 --> 00:35:15,606 To go to college. They wouldn't have been able to, otherwise. 418 00:35:15,608 --> 00:35:17,341 They essentially got free education. 419 00:35:17,343 --> 00:35:19,676 [man] where a community, state or nation... 420 00:35:19,678 --> 00:35:24,881 Courageously invests a substantial share of its resources in education, 421 00:35:24,883 --> 00:35:30,119 The investment invariable returned in better business and the higher standard of living. 422 00:35:30,121 --> 00:35:35,290 U.S. Was way in the lead in developing extensive mass public education at every level. 423 00:35:37,226 --> 00:35:40,761 By now, in more than half the states, most of the funding 424 00:35:40,763 --> 00:35:43,497 For the colleges comes from tuition, not from the state. 425 00:35:43,499 --> 00:35:45,699 That's a radical change, 426 00:35:45,701 --> 00:35:48,368 And that's a terrible burden on students. 427 00:35:48,370 --> 00:35:52,872 It means that students, if they don't come from very wealthy families, 428 00:35:52,874 --> 00:35:55,374 They're going to leave college with big debts. 429 00:35:55,376 --> 00:35:57,843 And if you have a big debt, you're trapped. 430 00:35:57,845 --> 00:36:01,646 I mean, maybe you wanted to become a public interest lawyer, 431 00:36:01,648 --> 00:36:04,281 But you're going to have to go into a corporate law firm 432 00:36:04,283 --> 00:36:07,250 To pay off those debts, and by the time you're part of the culture, 433 00:36:07,252 --> 00:36:09,252 You're not going to get out of it again. 434 00:36:09,254 --> 00:36:11,287 And that's true across the board. 435 00:36:14,591 --> 00:36:18,460 In the 1950s, it was a much poorer society than it is today, 436 00:36:18,462 --> 00:36:25,199 But, nevertheless, could easily handle essentially free mass higher education. 437 00:36:25,201 --> 00:36:29,236 Today, a much richer society claims it doesn't have the resources for it. 438 00:36:31,472 --> 00:36:34,507 That's just what's going on right before our eyes. 439 00:36:34,509 --> 00:36:39,544 That's the general attack on principles that, 440 00:36:39,546 --> 00:36:42,780 Not only are they humane, they are the basis 441 00:36:42,782 --> 00:36:47,551 Of the prosperity and health of this society. 442 00:37:15,912 --> 00:37:18,880 If you look over the history of regulation, 443 00:37:18,882 --> 00:37:23,284 Say, railroad regulation, financial regulation and so on, 444 00:37:23,286 --> 00:37:25,986 You find that quite commonly 445 00:37:25,988 --> 00:37:31,558 It's either initiated by the economic... 446 00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:35,895 Concentrations that are being regulated, or it's supported by them. 447 00:37:35,897 --> 00:37:42,234 And the reason is because they know that, sooner or later, they can take over the regulators. 448 00:37:46,272 --> 00:37:50,241 And it ends up with what's called "regulatory capture." 449 00:37:50,243 --> 00:37:53,444 The business being regulated is in fact running the regulators. 450 00:38:02,319 --> 00:38:06,754 Bank lobbyists are actually writing the laws of financial regulation, 451 00:38:06,756 --> 00:38:08,889 It gets to that extreme. 452 00:38:08,891 --> 00:38:11,758 That's been happening through history and, again, 453 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:15,928 It's a pretty natural tendency when you just look at the distribution of power. 454 00:38:20,633 --> 00:38:25,970 One of the things that expanded enormously in the 1970s is lobbying, 455 00:38:25,972 --> 00:38:31,809 As the business world moved sharply to try to control legislation. 456 00:38:31,811 --> 00:38:36,780 The business world was pretty upset by the advances in public welfare in the '60s, 457 00:38:36,782 --> 00:38:39,382 In particular by richard nixon. 458 00:38:39,384 --> 00:38:43,052 It's not too well understood, but he was the last new deal president, 459 00:38:43,054 --> 00:38:46,488 And they regarded that as class treachery. 460 00:38:46,490 --> 00:38:51,359 In nixon's administration, you get the consumer safety legislation, 461 00:38:51,361 --> 00:38:54,695 Safety and health regulations in the workplace, 462 00:38:54,697 --> 00:38:56,997 The epa, the environmental protection agency. 463 00:38:58,899 --> 00:39:01,033 Business didn't like it, of course. 464 00:39:01,035 --> 00:39:03,935 They didn't like the high taxes. They didn't like the regulation. 465 00:39:03,937 --> 00:39:07,872 And they began a coordinated effort to try to overcome it. 466 00:39:07,874 --> 00:39:13,076 Lobbying sharply increased. Deregulation began with a real ferocity. 467 00:39:15,946 --> 00:39:18,781 There were no financial crashes in the '50s and the '60s, 468 00:39:18,783 --> 00:39:23,018 Because the regulatory apparatus of the new deal was still in place. 469 00:39:27,556 --> 00:39:32,492 As it began to be dismantled under business pressure and political pressure, 470 00:39:32,494 --> 00:39:35,328 You get more and more crashes. 471 00:39:43,904 --> 00:39:46,105 And it goes on right through the years. 472 00:39:47,474 --> 00:39:50,676 '70s it starts to begin. 473 00:39:50,678 --> 00:39:52,811 '80s really takes off. 474 00:39:52,813 --> 00:39:56,347 [announcer] congress was asked to approve federal loan guarantees to the auto company 475 00:39:56,349 --> 00:39:58,782 Of up to one and one half billion dollars. 476 00:39:58,784 --> 00:40:00,784 Now, all of this is quite safe 477 00:40:00,786 --> 00:40:03,887 As long as you know the government's going to come to your rescue. 478 00:40:03,889 --> 00:40:07,357 Take, say, reagan. Instead of letting them pay the cost, 479 00:40:07,359 --> 00:40:10,660 Reagan bailed out the banks like continental illinois, 480 00:40:10,662 --> 00:40:13,929 The biggest bailout of american history at the time. 481 00:40:13,931 --> 00:40:18,867 He actually ended his term with a huge financial crisis, the savings and loan crisis, 482 00:40:18,869 --> 00:40:25,907 [announcer] president bush today signed the 300 billion-dollar savings and loan bailout bill. 483 00:40:25,909 --> 00:40:30,611 In 1999, regulation was dismantled to separate 484 00:40:30,613 --> 00:40:33,113 Commercial banks from investment banks. 485 00:40:35,015 --> 00:40:38,017 Then comes the bush and obama bailout. 486 00:40:38,019 --> 00:40:40,786 [male announcer] bear stearns is running to the feds to stay afloat-- 487 00:40:40,788 --> 00:40:44,689 [female announcer] president bush today defended the decision to bail out citigroup... 488 00:40:44,691 --> 00:40:49,460 Fannie mae and freddie mac have asked for a total of three billion dollars more... 489 00:40:49,462 --> 00:40:54,031 The bailout could get much bigger, signaling deepening troubles for the u.S. Economy. 490 00:40:57,902 --> 00:40:59,836 [chomsky] and they're building up the next one. 491 00:41:14,517 --> 00:41:20,087 Each time, the taxpayer is called on to bail out those who created the crisis, 492 00:41:20,089 --> 00:41:24,825 Increasingly the major financial institutions. 493 00:41:24,827 --> 00:41:27,160 In a capitalist economy, you wouldn't do that. 494 00:41:27,162 --> 00:41:32,798 That would wipe out the investors who made risky investments. 495 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:36,101 But the rich and powerful, they don't want a capitalist system. 496 00:41:36,103 --> 00:41:39,003 They want to be able to run to the nanny state 497 00:41:39,005 --> 00:41:41,905 As soon as they're in trouble, and get bailed out by the taxpayer. 498 00:41:41,907 --> 00:41:43,907 That's called "too big to fail." 499 00:41:45,709 --> 00:41:48,043 There are nobel laureates in economics 500 00:41:48,045 --> 00:41:51,146 Who significantly disagree with the course that we're following. 501 00:41:51,148 --> 00:41:54,482 People like joe stiglitz, paul krugman and others, 502 00:41:54,484 --> 00:41:57,751 And none of them were even approached. 503 00:41:57,753 --> 00:42:01,121 The people picked to fix the crisis were those who created it, 504 00:42:01,123 --> 00:42:04,691 The robert rubin crowd, the goldman sachs crowd. 505 00:42:04,693 --> 00:42:09,095 They created the crisis... Are now more powerful than before. 506 00:42:09,097 --> 00:42:10,830 Is that accident? 507 00:42:10,832 --> 00:42:15,668 Not when you pick those people to create an economic plan. 508 00:42:15,670 --> 00:42:17,536 I mean, what do you expect to happen? 509 00:42:21,974 --> 00:42:25,776 Meanwhile, for the poor, let market principles prevail. 510 00:42:25,778 --> 00:42:27,978 Don't expect any help from the government. 511 00:42:27,980 --> 00:42:30,714 The government's the problem, not the solution, and so on. 512 00:42:30,716 --> 00:42:33,216 That's, essentially, neo-liberalism. 513 00:42:33,218 --> 00:42:38,954 It has this dual character which goes right back in economic history. 514 00:42:38,956 --> 00:42:41,122 One set of rules for the rich. 515 00:42:41,124 --> 00:42:42,756 Opposite set of rules for the poor. 516 00:42:45,793 --> 00:42:47,927 Nothing surprising about this. 517 00:42:47,929 --> 00:42:50,229 It's exactly the dynamics you expect. 518 00:42:50,231 --> 00:42:52,931 If the population allows it to proceed, 519 00:42:52,933 --> 00:43:00,605 Until the next crash, which is so much expected that credit agencies, 520 00:43:00,607 --> 00:43:03,574 Which evaluate the status of firms, 521 00:43:03,576 --> 00:43:06,643 Are now counting into their calculations 522 00:43:06,645 --> 00:43:11,914 The taxpayer bailout that they expect to come after the next crash. 523 00:43:11,916 --> 00:43:16,785 Which means that the beneficiaries of these credit ratings like the big banks, 524 00:43:16,787 --> 00:43:21,656 They can borrow money more cheaply, they can push out smaller competitors, 525 00:43:21,658 --> 00:43:23,658 And you get more and more concentration. 526 00:43:23,660 --> 00:43:25,826 Everywhere you look, policies are designed this way, 527 00:43:25,828 --> 00:43:29,696 Which should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone. 528 00:43:29,698 --> 00:43:36,068 That's what happens when you put power into the hands of a narrow sector of wealth, 529 00:43:36,070 --> 00:43:40,539 Which is dedicated to increasing power for itself, just as you'd expect. 530 00:43:59,558 --> 00:44:04,228 Concentration of wealth yields concentration of political power, 531 00:44:04,230 --> 00:44:09,633 Particularly so as the cost of elections skyrockets, 532 00:44:09,635 --> 00:44:14,804 Which forces the political parties into the pockets of major corporations. 533 00:44:17,841 --> 00:44:22,644 The citizens united, this was January 2009, I guess, 534 00:44:22,646 --> 00:44:26,581 That's a very important supreme court decision, 535 00:44:26,583 --> 00:44:29,283 But it has a history and you got to think about the history. 536 00:44:30,685 --> 00:44:34,187 The 14th amendment has a provision that says, 537 00:44:34,189 --> 00:44:39,792 "no person's rights can be infringed without due process of law." 538 00:44:39,794 --> 00:44:43,662 And the intent, clearly, was to protect freed slaves. 539 00:44:43,664 --> 00:44:46,898 Says, "okay, they've got the protection of the law." 540 00:44:46,900 --> 00:44:51,068 I don't think it's ever been used for freed slaves, if ever, marginally. 541 00:44:51,070 --> 00:44:55,639 Almost immediately, it was used for businesses, corporations. 542 00:44:55,641 --> 00:44:59,009 Their rights can't be infringed without due process of law. 543 00:44:59,011 --> 00:45:02,379 So they gradually became persons under the law. 544 00:45:08,318 --> 00:45:11,887 Corporations are state-created legal fictions. 545 00:45:14,857 --> 00:45:16,324 Maybe they're good, maybe they're bad, 546 00:45:16,326 --> 00:45:19,327 But to call them persons is kind of outrageous. 547 00:45:19,329 --> 00:45:23,064 So they got personal rights back about a century ago, 548 00:45:23,066 --> 00:45:25,166 And that extended through the 20th century. 549 00:45:27,669 --> 00:45:31,204 They gave corporations rights way beyond what persons have. 550 00:45:32,406 --> 00:45:35,674 So if, say, general motors invests in mexico, 551 00:45:35,676 --> 00:45:39,310 They get national rights, the rights of the mexican business. 552 00:45:39,312 --> 00:45:44,213 While the notion of person was expanded to include corporations, 553 00:45:44,215 --> 00:45:46,415 It was also restricted. 554 00:45:46,417 --> 00:45:49,117 If you take the 14th amendment literally, 555 00:45:49,119 --> 00:45:54,688 Then no undocumented alien can be deprived of rights, if they're persons. 556 00:45:57,725 --> 00:46:01,060 Undocumented aliens who are living here and building your buildings, 557 00:46:01,062 --> 00:46:04,028 Cleaning your lawns, and so on, they're not persons... 558 00:46:06,831 --> 00:46:12,235 But general electric is a person, an immortal super-powerful person. 559 00:46:12,237 --> 00:46:18,274 This perversion of the elementary morality, 560 00:46:18,276 --> 00:46:20,943 And the obvious meaning of the law, is quite incredible. 561 00:46:23,346 --> 00:46:28,315 In the 1970s, the courts decided that money is a form of speech. 562 00:46:30,551 --> 00:46:34,554 Buckley vs. Valeo. Then you go on through the years to citizens united, 563 00:46:34,556 --> 00:46:37,557 Which says that, the right of free speech of corporations, 564 00:46:37,559 --> 00:46:41,227 Mainly to spend as much money as they want, that can't be curtailed. 565 00:46:45,166 --> 00:46:50,836 It means that corporations, which anyway have been pretty much buying elections, 566 00:46:50,838 --> 00:46:54,039 Are now free to do it with virtually no constraint. 567 00:46:54,041 --> 00:46:58,276 That's a tremendous attack on the residue of democracy. 568 00:47:02,848 --> 00:47:06,817 It's very interesting to read the rulings, like justice kennedy's swing vote. 569 00:47:06,819 --> 00:47:09,452 His ruling said, "well, look, after all, 570 00:47:09,454 --> 00:47:14,423 "cbs is given freedom of speech, they're a corporation, why shouldn't general electric 571 00:47:14,425 --> 00:47:16,491 Be free to spend as much money as they want?" 572 00:47:18,293 --> 00:47:21,328 I mean, it's true that cbs is given freedom of speech, 573 00:47:21,330 --> 00:47:25,498 But they're supposed to be performing a public service. That's why. 574 00:47:25,500 --> 00:47:27,199 That's what the press is supposed to be, 575 00:47:27,201 --> 00:47:29,301 And general electric is trying to make money 576 00:47:29,303 --> 00:47:31,569 For the chief executive and some of the shareholders. 577 00:47:34,172 --> 00:47:38,375 It's an incredible decision, and it puts the country in a position where 578 00:47:38,377 --> 00:47:43,980 Business power is greatly extended beyond what it always was. 579 00:47:43,982 --> 00:47:45,614 This is part of that vicious cycle. 580 00:47:45,616 --> 00:47:49,884 The supreme court justices are put in by reactionary presidents, 581 00:47:49,886 --> 00:47:53,053 Who get in there because they're funded by business. 582 00:47:53,055 --> 00:47:54,521 It's the way the cycle works. 583 00:48:20,213 --> 00:48:23,949 There is one organized force which traditionally, 584 00:48:23,951 --> 00:48:29,553 Plenty of flaws, but with all its flaws, it's been in the forefront of... 585 00:48:29,555 --> 00:48:33,323 Efforts to improve the lives of the general population. 586 00:48:33,325 --> 00:48:34,924 That's organized labor. 587 00:48:34,926 --> 00:48:37,359 It's also a barrier to corporate tyranny. 588 00:48:37,361 --> 00:48:44,065 So, it's the one barrier to this vicious cycle going on, which does lead to corporate tyranny. 589 00:48:53,441 --> 00:48:57,310 A major reason for the concentrated, 590 00:48:57,312 --> 00:49:01,047 Almost fanatic attack on unions, on organized labor, 591 00:49:01,049 --> 00:49:03,282 Is they are a democratizing force. 592 00:49:05,018 --> 00:49:08,353 They provide a barrier that defends workers' rights, 593 00:49:08,355 --> 00:49:10,221 But also popular rights generally. 594 00:49:17,662 --> 00:49:22,966 That interferes with the prerogatives and power of those who own 595 00:49:22,968 --> 00:49:24,934 And manage the society. 596 00:49:26,202 --> 00:49:29,470 I should say that anti-union 597 00:49:29,472 --> 00:49:33,674 Sentiment in the United States among elites is so strong 598 00:49:33,676 --> 00:49:37,310 That the fundamental core of labor rights, 599 00:49:37,312 --> 00:49:41,480 The basic principle in the international labor organization, 600 00:49:41,482 --> 00:49:44,216 Is the right of free association, 601 00:49:44,218 --> 00:49:46,418 Which would mean the right to form unions. 602 00:49:46,420 --> 00:49:49,053 The u.S. Has never ratified that, 603 00:49:49,055 --> 00:49:54,624 So I think the u.S. May be alone among major societies in that respect. 604 00:49:54,626 --> 00:49:58,728 It's considered so far out of the spectrum of american politics, 605 00:49:58,730 --> 00:50:00,362 It literally has never been considered. 606 00:50:00,364 --> 00:50:03,098 [clamoring] 607 00:50:03,100 --> 00:50:07,735 Remember, the u.S. Has a long and very violent labor history 608 00:50:07,737 --> 00:50:10,070 As compared with comparable societies... 609 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:15,308 But the labor movement had been very strong. 610 00:50:15,310 --> 00:50:21,414 By the 1920s, in a period not unlike today, it was virtually crushed. 611 00:50:21,416 --> 00:50:27,119 [man] a truck drivers strike was climaxed by severe riots with many casualties. 612 00:50:27,121 --> 00:50:33,290 Open warfare rages through the streets of the city as 3,000 union pickets battle 700 police. 613 00:50:33,292 --> 00:50:36,192 Guns, tear gas, clubs and fists bring injuries 614 00:50:36,194 --> 00:50:39,328 To more than 80 persons and caused the death of two. 615 00:50:44,133 --> 00:50:46,233 By the mid '30s, it began to reconstruct. 616 00:50:49,738 --> 00:50:55,475 He himself was rather sympathetic to progressive legislation 617 00:50:55,477 --> 00:50:58,244 That would be in the benefit of the general population, 618 00:50:58,246 --> 00:51:00,713 But he had to somehow get it passed. 619 00:51:00,715 --> 00:51:06,718 So he informed labor leaders and others, "force me to do it." 620 00:51:06,720 --> 00:51:13,024 What he meant is, go out and demonstrate, organize, protest, 621 00:51:13,026 --> 00:51:15,326 Develop the labor movement. 622 00:51:15,328 --> 00:51:17,494 When the popular pressure is sufficient, 623 00:51:17,496 --> 00:51:19,662 I'll be able to put through the legislation you want. 624 00:51:19,664 --> 00:51:25,033 I am not for a return to that definition of liberty, 625 00:51:25,035 --> 00:51:29,070 Under which for many years a free people 626 00:51:29,072 --> 00:51:36,076 Were being gradually regimented into the service of a privileged few. 627 00:51:36,078 --> 00:51:41,147 I prefer that broader definition of liberty. 628 00:51:41,149 --> 00:51:45,117 [chomsky] so, there was kind of a combination of sympathetic government, 629 00:51:45,119 --> 00:51:48,786 And by the mid-'30s, very substantial popular activism. 630 00:51:50,488 --> 00:51:54,791 There were industrial actions. There were sit-down strikes, 631 00:51:54,793 --> 00:51:59,228 Which were very frightening to ownership. 632 00:51:59,230 --> 00:52:04,199 You have to recognize the sit-down strike is just one step before saying, 633 00:52:04,201 --> 00:52:06,568 "we don't need bosses. We can run this by ourselves." 634 00:52:13,708 --> 00:52:15,408 And business was appalled. 635 00:52:15,410 --> 00:52:19,378 You read the business press, say, in the late '30s, 636 00:52:19,380 --> 00:52:23,382 They were talking about the "hazard facing industrialists" 637 00:52:23,384 --> 00:52:26,818 And the "rising political power of the masses," 638 00:52:26,820 --> 00:52:28,486 Which has to be repressed. 639 00:52:28,488 --> 00:52:31,388 Things were on hold during the second world war, 640 00:52:31,390 --> 00:52:34,457 But immediately after the second world war, the business offensive 641 00:52:34,459 --> 00:52:38,494 Began in force. The taft-hartley act. 642 00:52:38,496 --> 00:52:41,864 The taft-hartley act was written for only one purpose, 643 00:52:41,866 --> 00:52:47,836 To restore justice and equality in labor-management relations. 644 00:52:47,838 --> 00:52:53,107 Then mccarthyism was used for massive corporate propaganda offensives to attack unions. 645 00:52:54,409 --> 00:52:56,576 It increased sharply during the reagan years. 646 00:52:56,578 --> 00:52:59,712 I mean, reagan pretty much told the business world, 647 00:52:59,714 --> 00:53:04,483 "if you want to illegally break organizing efforts and strikes, go ahead." 648 00:53:04,485 --> 00:53:07,118 They are in violation of the law, 649 00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:10,488 And if they do not report for work within 48 hours, 650 00:53:10,490 --> 00:53:14,825 They have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated. 651 00:53:14,827 --> 00:53:19,696 It continued in the '90s and, of course with george w. Bush, it went through the roof. 652 00:53:19,698 --> 00:53:25,268 By now, less than 7% of private sector workers have unions. 653 00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:35,810 The effect is that the usual counter-force to an offensive 654 00:53:35,812 --> 00:53:40,414 By our highly class-conscious business class has dissolved. 655 00:53:43,918 --> 00:53:47,186 Now, if you're in a position of power, 656 00:53:47,188 --> 00:53:50,556 You want to maintain class-consciousness for yourself, 657 00:53:50,558 --> 00:53:52,424 But eliminate it everywhere else. 658 00:53:52,426 --> 00:53:55,627 You go back to the 19th century, 659 00:53:55,629 --> 00:53:59,263 In the early days of the industrial revolution in the United States, 660 00:53:59,265 --> 00:54:02,866 Working people were very conscious of this. 661 00:54:02,868 --> 00:54:06,636 They, in fact, overwhelmingly regarded 662 00:54:06,638 --> 00:54:10,706 Wage labor as not very different from slavery, 663 00:54:10,708 --> 00:54:13,508 Different only in that it was temporary. 664 00:54:13,510 --> 00:54:17,244 In fact, it was such a popular idea that it was the slogan of the republican party. 665 00:54:18,546 --> 00:54:22,348 That was a very sharp class-consciousness. 666 00:54:22,350 --> 00:54:24,883 In the interest of power and privilege, 667 00:54:24,885 --> 00:54:28,519 It's good to drive those ideas out of people's heads. 668 00:54:28,521 --> 00:54:31,755 You don't want them to know that they're an oppressed class. 669 00:54:31,757 --> 00:54:35,525 So, this is one of the few societies in which you just don't talk about class. 670 00:54:35,527 --> 00:54:39,195 In fact, the notion of class is very simple. 671 00:54:39,197 --> 00:54:41,430 Who gives the orders? Who follows them? 672 00:54:41,432 --> 00:54:43,598 That basically defines class. 673 00:54:43,600 --> 00:54:47,268 It's more nuanced and complex, but that's basically it. 674 00:55:05,653 --> 00:55:09,255 The public relations industry, the advertising industry, 675 00:55:09,257 --> 00:55:11,490 Which is dedicated to creating consumers, 676 00:55:11,492 --> 00:55:14,860 It's a phenomena that developed in the freest countries, 677 00:55:14,862 --> 00:55:19,598 In britain and the United States, and the reason is pretty clear. 678 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:22,968 It became clear by, say, a century ago 679 00:55:22,970 --> 00:55:27,305 That it was not going to be so easy to control the population by force. 680 00:55:27,307 --> 00:55:28,472 Too much freedom had been won. 681 00:55:30,241 --> 00:55:33,676 Labor organizing, parliamentary labor parties in many countries, 682 00:55:33,678 --> 00:55:36,578 Women starting to get the franchise, and so on. 683 00:55:36,580 --> 00:55:38,880 So, you had to have other means of controlling people. 684 00:55:38,882 --> 00:55:41,449 And it was understood and expressed 685 00:55:41,451 --> 00:55:47,587 That you have to control them by control of beliefs and attitudes. 686 00:55:47,589 --> 00:55:51,724 Well, one of the best ways to control people in terms of attitudes 687 00:55:51,726 --> 00:55:58,363 Is what the great political economist thorstein veblen called "fabricating consumers." 688 00:56:04,602 --> 00:56:07,637 If you can fabricate wants... 689 00:56:07,639 --> 00:56:12,975 Make obtaining things that are just about within your reach the essence of life, 690 00:56:12,977 --> 00:56:16,344 They're going to be trapped into becoming consumers. 691 00:56:18,714 --> 00:56:21,549 You read the business press in say, 1920s, 692 00:56:21,551 --> 00:56:27,487 It talks about the need to direct people to the superficial things of life, 693 00:56:27,489 --> 00:56:30,623 Like "fashionable consumption" and that'll keep them out of our hair. 694 00:56:32,559 --> 00:56:36,762 You find this doctrine all through progressive intellectual thought, 695 00:56:36,764 --> 00:56:38,430 Like walter lippmann, 696 00:56:38,432 --> 00:56:41,332 The major progressive intellectual of the 20th century. 697 00:56:43,702 --> 00:56:49,439 He wrote famous progressive essays on democracy in which his view was exactly that. 698 00:56:49,441 --> 00:56:51,908 "the public must be put in their place," 699 00:56:51,910 --> 00:56:54,810 So that the responsible men can make decisions 700 00:56:54,812 --> 00:56:57,612 Without interference from the "bewildered herd." 701 00:57:00,449 --> 00:57:02,583 They're to be spectators, not participants. 702 00:57:02,585 --> 00:57:05,419 Then you get a properly functioning democracy, 703 00:57:05,421 --> 00:57:10,824 Straight back to madison and on to powell's memorandum, and so on. 704 00:57:10,826 --> 00:57:17,830 And the advertising industry just exploded with this as its goal... 705 00:57:17,832 --> 00:57:19,064 Fabricating consumers. 706 00:57:25,571 --> 00:57:28,539 And it's done with great sophistication. 707 00:57:28,541 --> 00:57:30,741 [announcer] you don't see many wild stallions anymore. 708 00:57:30,743 --> 00:57:35,111 He's one of the last of a wild and very singular breed. 709 00:57:35,912 --> 00:57:39,147 Come to marlboro country. 710 00:57:39,149 --> 00:57:41,582 The ideal is what you actually see today... 711 00:57:43,718 --> 00:57:47,921 Where, let's say, teenage girls, if they have a free Saturday afternoon, 712 00:57:47,923 --> 00:57:50,623 Will go walking in the shopping mall, 713 00:57:50,625 --> 00:57:52,791 Not to the library or somewhere else. 714 00:57:53,926 --> 00:57:57,628 The idea is to try to control everyone, 715 00:57:57,630 --> 00:58:01,097 To turn the whole society into the perfect system. 716 00:58:03,967 --> 00:58:09,104 Perfect system would be a society based on a dyad, a pair. 717 00:58:09,106 --> 00:58:12,507 The pair is you and your television set, 718 00:58:12,509 --> 00:58:15,009 Or maybe now you and the internet, 719 00:58:15,011 --> 00:58:19,713 In which that presents you with what the proper life would be, 720 00:58:19,715 --> 00:58:21,915 What kind of gadgets you should have. 721 00:58:21,917 --> 00:58:24,651 And you spend your time and effort gaining those things, 722 00:58:24,653 --> 00:58:27,520 Which you don't need, and you don't want, and maybe you'll throw them away... 723 00:58:29,256 --> 00:58:32,023 But that's the measure of a decent life. 724 00:58:34,860 --> 00:58:38,729 What we see is in, say, advertising on television, 725 00:58:38,731 --> 00:58:42,666 If you've ever taken an economics course, you know that 726 00:58:42,668 --> 00:58:48,805 Markets are supposed to be based on "informed consumers making rational choices." 727 00:58:48,807 --> 00:58:52,608 Well, if we had a system like that, a market system, 728 00:58:52,610 --> 00:58:57,245 Then a television ad would consist of, say, general motors 729 00:58:57,247 --> 00:59:01,215 Putting up information, saying, "here's what we have for sale." 730 00:59:01,217 --> 00:59:03,917 That's not what an ad for a car is. 731 00:59:03,919 --> 00:59:06,619 And ad for a car is a football hero... 732 00:59:06,621 --> 00:59:11,690 An actress, the car doing some crazy thing like, 733 00:59:11,692 --> 00:59:13,692 Going up a mountain or something. 734 00:59:13,694 --> 00:59:19,897 The point is to create uninformed consumers who will make irrational choices. 735 00:59:19,899 --> 00:59:22,566 That's what advertising is all about, 736 00:59:22,568 --> 00:59:28,004 And when the same institution, the pr system, 737 00:59:28,006 --> 00:59:30,272 Runs elections, they do it the same way. 738 00:59:36,545 --> 00:59:39,146 They want to create an uniformed electorate, 739 00:59:39,148 --> 00:59:43,617 Which will make irrational choices, often against their own interests, 740 00:59:43,619 --> 00:59:47,820 And we see it every time one of these extravaganzas take place. 741 00:59:49,856 --> 00:59:51,957 Right after the election, 742 00:59:51,959 --> 00:59:57,095 President obama won an award from the advertising industry 743 00:59:57,097 --> 00:59:59,097 For the best marketing campaign. 744 00:59:59,099 --> 01:00:01,966 It wasn't reported here, but if you go to the international business press, 745 01:00:01,968 --> 01:00:05,069 Executives were euphoric. 746 01:00:05,071 --> 01:00:11,808 They said, "we've been selling candidates, marketing candidates like toothpaste 747 01:00:11,810 --> 01:00:15,611 Ever since reagan, and this is the greatest achievement we have." 748 01:00:15,613 --> 01:00:18,947 I don't usually agree with sarah palin, 749 01:00:18,949 --> 01:00:24,718 But when she mocks what she calls the "hopey-changey" stuff, she's right. 750 01:00:24,720 --> 01:00:29,322 First of all, obama didn't really promise anything. That's mostly illusion. 751 01:00:29,324 --> 01:00:32,091 You go back to the campaign rhetoric and take a look at it. 752 01:00:32,093 --> 01:00:36,795 There's very little discussion of policy issues, and for very good reason, 753 01:00:36,797 --> 01:00:42,133 Because public opinion on policy is sharply disconnected 754 01:00:42,135 --> 01:00:46,670 From what the two-party leadership and their financial backers want. 755 01:00:48,607 --> 01:00:54,744 Is focused on the private interests that fund the campaigns... 756 01:00:56,179 --> 01:00:58,146 With the public being marginalized. 757 01:01:21,636 --> 01:01:26,239 One of the leading political scientists, martin gilens, came out with a study 758 01:01:26,241 --> 01:01:29,175 Of the relation between public attitudes and public policy. 759 01:01:29,177 --> 01:01:36,014 What he shows is that about 70% of the population has no way of influencing policy. 760 01:01:36,016 --> 01:01:38,249 They might as well be in some other country... 761 01:01:39,651 --> 01:01:40,884 And the population knows it. 762 01:01:43,954 --> 01:01:50,225 What it's led to is a population that's angry, frustrated, hates institutions. 763 01:01:51,927 --> 01:01:56,029 It's not acting constructively to try to respond to this. 764 01:01:58,098 --> 01:02:01,033 There is popular mobilization and activism, 765 01:02:01,035 --> 01:02:03,101 But in very self-destructive directions. 766 01:02:04,903 --> 01:02:08,405 It's taking the form of unfocused anger, 767 01:02:08,407 --> 01:02:11,841 Attacks on one another, and on vulnerable targets. 768 01:02:11,843 --> 01:02:13,842 That's what happens in cases like this. 769 01:02:17,413 --> 01:02:21,816 It is corrosive of social relations, but that's the point. 770 01:02:21,818 --> 01:02:26,120 The point is to make people hate and fear each other, 771 01:02:26,122 --> 01:02:28,122 And look out only for themselves, 772 01:02:28,124 --> 01:02:29,790 And don't do anything for anyone else. 773 01:02:34,061 --> 01:02:38,831 One place you see it strikingly is on April 15th. 774 01:02:38,833 --> 01:02:42,167 April 15th is kind of a measure, the day you pay your taxes, 775 01:02:42,169 --> 01:02:45,370 Of how democratic the society is. 776 01:02:45,372 --> 01:02:49,140 If a society is really democratic, 777 01:02:49,142 --> 01:02:52,243 April 15th would be a day of celebration. 778 01:02:52,245 --> 01:02:55,045 It's a day when the population gets together, 779 01:02:55,047 --> 01:03:01,751 Decides to fund the programs and activities that they have formulated and agreed upon. 780 01:03:01,753 --> 01:03:04,820 What could be better than that? So, you should celebrate it. 781 01:03:04,822 --> 01:03:06,221 It's not the way it is in the United States. 782 01:03:06,223 --> 01:03:09,023 It's a day of mourning. 783 01:03:09,025 --> 01:03:13,994 It's a day in which some alien power that has nothing to do with you, 784 01:03:13,996 --> 01:03:17,197 Is coming down to steal our hard-earned money, 785 01:03:17,199 --> 01:03:19,499 And you do everything you can to keep them from doing it. 786 01:03:21,168 --> 01:03:24,170 That is a kind of measure of the extent to which, 787 01:03:24,172 --> 01:03:27,839 At least in popular consciousness, democracy is actually functioning. 788 01:03:29,007 --> 01:03:30,340 Not a very attractive picture. 789 01:03:48,458 --> 01:03:52,327 The tendencies that we've been describing within american society, 790 01:03:52,329 --> 01:03:57,065 Unless they're reversed, it's going to be an extremely ugly society. 791 01:03:57,067 --> 01:04:00,101 I mean, a society that's based on 792 01:04:00,103 --> 01:04:05,072 Adam smith's vile maxim, "all for myself, nothing for anyone else." 793 01:04:10,311 --> 01:04:14,314 A society in which normal human instincts and emotion 794 01:04:14,316 --> 01:04:18,551 Of sympathy, solidarity, mutual support, in which they're driven out... 795 01:04:22,122 --> 01:04:25,157 That's a society so ugly, I don't even want to know who'd live in it. 796 01:04:25,159 --> 01:04:27,325 I wouldn't want my children to. 797 01:04:32,064 --> 01:04:36,934 [chomsky on tape] if the society is based on control by private wealth, 798 01:04:36,936 --> 01:04:40,570 It will reflect the values that it, in fact, does reflect. 799 01:04:43,373 --> 01:04:47,309 The value that is greed, and the desire to maximize personal gain, 800 01:04:47,311 --> 01:04:54,949 Now, any society, a small society based on that principle is ugly, but it can survive. 801 01:04:54,951 --> 01:04:58,852 A global society based on that principle is headed for massive destruction. 802 01:05:04,190 --> 01:05:09,260 I don't think we're smart enough to design, 803 01:05:09,262 --> 01:05:14,597 In any detail what a perfectly just and free society would be like. 804 01:05:14,599 --> 01:05:17,199 I think we can give some guidelines 805 01:05:17,201 --> 01:05:22,404 And, more significant, we can ask how we can progress in that direction. 806 01:05:26,876 --> 01:05:31,446 John dewey, the leading social philosopher in the late 20th century, 807 01:05:31,448 --> 01:05:34,882 He argued that until all institutions, 808 01:05:34,884 --> 01:05:38,919 Production, commerce, media, 809 01:05:38,921 --> 01:05:43,089 Unless they're all under participatory democratic control, 810 01:05:43,091 --> 01:05:47,092 We will not have a functioning democratic society. 811 01:05:49,061 --> 01:05:52,930 As he put it, "policy will be the shadow cast by business over society." 812 01:05:57,402 --> 01:05:59,069 Well, it's essentially true. 813 01:06:10,180 --> 01:06:14,316 Where there are structures of authority, domination and hierarchy, 814 01:06:14,318 --> 01:06:19,454 Somebody gives the orders, somebody takes them, they are not self-justifying. 815 01:06:19,456 --> 01:06:23,424 They have to justify themselves. They have a burden of proof to meet. 816 01:06:30,531 --> 01:06:34,634 Well, if you take a close look, usually you find they can't justify themselves. 817 01:06:34,636 --> 01:06:37,169 If they can't, we ought to be dismantling them. 818 01:06:38,938 --> 01:06:42,006 Trying to expand the domain of freedom and justice 819 01:06:42,008 --> 01:06:46,076 By dismantling that form of illegitimate authority. 820 01:06:46,078 --> 01:06:49,079 And, in fact, progress over the years, 821 01:06:49,081 --> 01:06:53,216 What we all thankfully recognized as progress, has been just that. 822 01:06:53,218 --> 01:06:57,687 [chomsky on tape] the way things change is because lots of people are working all the time. 823 01:06:57,689 --> 01:07:02,091 They're working in their communities, in their workplace, or wherever they happen to be, 824 01:07:02,093 --> 01:07:08,430 And they're building up the basis for popular movements, which are going to make changes. 825 01:07:08,432 --> 01:07:11,065 That's the way everything has ever happened in history. 826 01:07:12,934 --> 01:07:15,602 Take, say, freedom of speech... 827 01:07:15,604 --> 01:07:18,705 One of the real achievements of american society, 828 01:07:18,707 --> 01:07:22,141 It's first in the world in that. It's not in the bill of rights. 829 01:07:22,143 --> 01:07:24,510 It's not in the constitution. 830 01:07:24,512 --> 01:07:30,048 Freedom of speech issues began to come to the supreme court in the early 20th century. 831 01:07:31,383 --> 01:07:34,718 The major contributions came in the 1960s. 832 01:07:34,720 --> 01:07:38,488 One of the leading ones was a case in the civil rights movement. 833 01:07:38,490 --> 01:07:41,557 Well, by then, you had a mass popular movement, 834 01:07:41,559 --> 01:07:44,359 Which was demanding rights, 835 01:07:44,361 --> 01:07:47,562 Refusing to back down. And in that context, 836 01:07:47,564 --> 01:07:51,632 The supreme court did establish a pretty high standard for freedom of speech. 837 01:07:51,634 --> 01:07:54,335 Or take, say, women's rights. 838 01:07:54,337 --> 01:07:57,838 Women also began identifying oppressive structures, 839 01:07:57,840 --> 01:08:02,642 Refusing to accept them, bringing other people to join with them. 840 01:08:02,644 --> 01:08:06,145 Well, that's how rights are won. 841 01:08:06,147 --> 01:08:10,149 To a non-trivial extent, I've also spent a lot of my life in activism. 842 01:08:10,151 --> 01:08:15,320 That doesn't show up publicly, but, actually, I'm not terribly good at it... 843 01:08:15,322 --> 01:08:21,726 [chomsky on tape] I think that we can see quite clearly some very, very serious defects 844 01:08:21,728 --> 01:08:25,362 And flaws in our society, our level of culture, our institutions, 845 01:08:25,364 --> 01:08:29,599 Which are going to have to be corrected by operating outside of the framework 846 01:08:29,601 --> 01:08:31,434 That is commonly accepted. 847 01:08:31,436 --> 01:08:34,203 I think we're going to have to find new ways of political action. 848 01:08:37,140 --> 01:08:40,641 But the activists are the people who have created the rights that we enjoy. 849 01:08:42,176 --> 01:08:44,477 They're not only carrying out... 850 01:08:44,479 --> 01:08:47,646 Policies based on information that they're receiving, 851 01:08:47,648 --> 01:08:49,714 But also contributing to the understanding. 852 01:08:49,716 --> 01:08:51,682 Remember, it's a reciprocal process. 853 01:08:54,252 --> 01:08:56,419 You try to do things. You learn. 854 01:08:56,421 --> 01:08:58,187 You learn about what the world is like, 855 01:08:58,189 --> 01:09:02,124 That feeds back to the understanding of how to go on. 856 01:09:05,495 --> 01:09:07,596 There's huge opportunities. 857 01:09:07,598 --> 01:09:11,465 It is a very free society, still the freest in the world. 858 01:09:12,900 --> 01:09:16,435 Government has very limited capacity to coerce. 859 01:09:16,437 --> 01:09:20,906 Corporate business may try to coerce, but they don't have the mechanisms. 860 01:09:20,908 --> 01:09:25,243 So, there's a lot that can be done if people organize, struggle for their rights 861 01:09:25,245 --> 01:09:28,445 As they've done in the past, and can win many victories. 862 01:09:29,747 --> 01:09:31,280 [audience applauding] 863 01:09:41,290 --> 01:09:46,694 Well, my close friend for many years, the late howard zinn... 864 01:09:49,330 --> 01:09:51,230 To put it in his words that, 865 01:09:51,232 --> 01:09:56,935 "what matters is the countless small deeds of unknown people, 866 01:09:56,937 --> 01:10:02,306 Who lay the basis for the significant events that enter history." 867 01:10:04,475 --> 01:10:07,210 They're the ones who've done things in the past. 868 01:10:07,212 --> 01:10:09,278 They're the ones who'll have to do it in the future.