AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AT RISK

Noam Chomsky, Deterring Democracy (London & New York: Verso, 1991) (Though somewhat dated, what Chomsky writes about post-Cold War American remains relevant and provides much need food for thought for post-9/11 America. From the book jacket: "Reviewing the military intervention in the Gulf [that is, the first Gulf War] and the invasion of Panama which preceded it, Chomsky highlights the success of American politicians in replacing fear of an old enemy, the Soviet Union, with new threats. He argues that it is only in this way that the Pentagon preserves its most vital domestic role of providing public subsidy to high technology industry."  From the text: "We can . . . identify a period form World War II, continuing into the 1970s, in which the US dominated much of the world [NOTE: Thus, globalization was, essentially, Americanization.], confronting a rival superpower of considerably more limited reach. We may adopt conventional usage and refer to this as the Cold War era, as long as we are careful not to carry along, without reflection, the ideological baggage devised to shape understanding in the interests of domestic power." "There is a striking imbalance in the 'post-Cold War' international system: the economic order is tricolor, but the military order is not. The United States remains the only power with the will and the capacity to exercise force on a global scale--even more freely than before, with the fading of the Soviet deterrent. But the US no longer enjoys the preponderance of economic power that had enabled it to maintain an aggressive and interventionist military posture since World War II. Military power not backed by a comparable economic base [NOTE: The American economy and standard of living is fueled by DEBT!] has its limits as a means of coercion and domination. It may will inspire adventurism, a tendency to lead with one's strength, possibly with catastrophic consequences." Id. at 2-3. Thus, for example, the quagmire of the endless American wars in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and against Terror.  On another point: "We should also bear in in mind that the right to freedom of speech in the United States was not established by the First Amendment to the Constitution, but only through dedicated efforts over a long period by the labor movement, the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s, and other popular forces. James Madison pointed out that a 'parchment barrier' will never suffice to prevent tyranny. Rights are not established by words, but won and sustained by struggle." "It is also worth recalling that victories for freedom of speech are often won in defense of the most depraved and horrendous views. The 1969 Supreme Court decision was in defense of the Ku Klux Klan from prosecution after a meeting with hooded figures, guns, and a burning cross, calling for 'burying the nigger' and 'sending the Jews back to Israel.' With regard to freedom of expression there are basically two positions: you can defend it vigorously for views you hate, or you can reject it in favor of Stalinist/Fascist standards." Id. a 400-401.).