The Mafia Principle of Global Hegemony: The Middle East, Empire & Activism

Noam Chomsky, one of the world’s most influential living intellectuals, deliberates on the root causes of the conflicts in the Middle East and talks about hopes for future social change. The renowned foreign policy critic and linguist reveals mainstream misconceptions about the internal and external politics of Iran, Israel, and Palestine. Chomsky also contextualizes the power of the Israel lobby and the centrality of the United States in resolving the underlying antagonisms in the Middle East, discusses the current global economic crisis of U.S. imperialism under Barack Obama, weighs in on how U.S. public opinion has shifted over the past several decades, and addresses various positive directions for activism. Also included is a one-hour discussion between Chomsky and Larry Bensky, the former Pacifica National Affairs correspondent, about media, class, and right-wing populism.