Published on Tuesday, July 1, 2014 by TomDispatch

America's Real Foreign Policy: Global Corporatization

by Force
Whose security is the U.S. military an !oreign ser"ice protecting#
by Noam Chomsky
US soldies paticipatin! in li"e #ie dills duin! N$T% tainin! in &emany' (Photo) #lick
* cc * +$T,US-2.)24/201The 2uestion o# ho3 #oei!n policy is detemined is a cucial
one in 3old a##ais' 4n these comments, 4 can only po"ide a #e3 hints as to ho3 4 think the
sub5ect can be poducti"ely e6ploed, keepin! to the United States #o se"eal easons' 7ist,
the U'S' is unmatched in its !lobal si!ni#icance and impact' Second, it is an unusually open
society, possibly uni2uely so, 3hich means 3e kno3 moe about it' 7inally, it is plainly the
most impotant case #o $meicans, 3ho ae able to in#luence policy choices in the U'S' 88
and indeed #o othes, inso#a as thei actions can in#luence such choices' The !eneal
pinciples, ho3e"e, e6tend to the othe ma5o po3es, and 3ell beyond'
Thee is a 9ecei"ed standad "esion,: common to academic scholaship, !o"enment
ponouncements, and public discouse' 4t holds that the pime commitment o# !o"enments
is to ensue secuity, and that the pimay concen o# the U'S' and its allies since 1;40 3as
the <ussian theat'
Thee ae a numbe o# 3ays to e"aluate the doctine' %ne ob"ious 2uestion to ask is) =hat
happened 3hen the <ussian theat disappeaed in 1;>;? $ns3e) e"eythin! continued
much as be#oe'
The U'S' immediately in"aded Panama, killin! pobably thousands o# people and installin!
a client e!ime' This 3as outine pactice in U'S'8dominated domains 88 but in this case not
2uite as outine' 7o #ist time, a ma5o #oei!n policy act 3as not 5usti#ied by an alle!ed
<ussian theat'
4nstead, a seies o# #audulent pete6ts #o the in"asion 3ee concocted that collapse
instantly on e6amination' The media chimed in enthusiastically, laudin! the ma!ni#icent
achie"ement o# de#eatin! Panama, unconcened that the pete6ts 3ee ludicous, that the act
itsel# 3as a adical "iolation o# intenational la3, and that it 3as bittely condemned
else3hee, most hashly in @atin $meica' $lso i!noed 3as the U'S' "eto o# a unanimous
Secuity Council esolution condemnin! cimes by U'S' toops duin! the in"asion, 3ith
Aitain alone abstainin!'
$ll outine' $nd all #o!otten (3hich is also outine1'
From $l Sal"aor to the Russian %orer
The administation o# &eo!e B'=' Aush issued a ne3 national secuity policy and de#ense
bud!et in eaction to the collapse o# the !lobal enemy' 4t 3as petty much the same as
be#oe, althou!h 3ith ne3 pete6ts' 4t 3as, it tuned out, necessay to maintain a militay
establishment almost as !eat as the est o# the 3old combined and #a moe ad"anced in
technolo!ical sophistication 88 but not #o de#ense a!ainst the no38none6istent So"iet
Union' <athe, the e6cuse no3 3as the !o3in! 9technolo!ical sophistication: o# Thid
=old po3es' Disciplined intellectuals undestood that it 3ould ha"e been impope to
collapse in idicule, so they maintained a pope silence'
The U'S', the ne3 po!ams insisted, must maintain its 9de#ense industial base': The
phase is a euphemism, e#ein! to hi!h8tech industy !eneally, 3hich elies hea"ily on
e6tensi"e state inte"ention #o eseach and de"elopment, o#ten unde Penta!on co"e, in
3hat economists continue to call the U'S' 9#ee8maket economy':
%ne o# the most inteestin! po"isions o# the ne3 plans had to do 3ith the +iddle ,ast'
Thee, it 3as declaed, =ashin!ton must maintain inte"ention #oces ta!etin! a cucial
e!ion 3hee the ma5o poblems 9could not ha"e been laid at the CemlinDs doo':
Contay to 00 yeas o# deceit, it 3as 2uietly conceded that the main concen 3as not the
<ussians, but athe 3hat is called 9adical nationalism,: meanin! independent nationalism
not unde U'S' contol'
$ll o# this has e"ident beain! on the standad "esion, but it passed unnoticed 88 o
pehaps, therefore it passed unnoticed'
%the impotant e"ents took place immediately a#te the #all o# the Aelin =all, endin! the
Cold =a' %ne 3as in ,l Sal"ado, the leadin! ecipient o# U'S' militay aid 88 apat #om
4sael8,!ypt, a sepaate cate!oy 88 and 3ith one o# the 3ost human i!hts ecods
any3hee' That is a #amilia and "ey close coelation'
The Sal"adoan hi!h command odeed the $tlacatl Ai!ade to in"ade the Jesuit Uni"esity
and mude si6 leadin! @atin $meican intellectuals, all Jesuit piests, includin! the ecto,
7' 4!nacio ,llacuEa, and any 3itnesses, meanin! thei housekeepe and he dau!hte' The
Ai!ade had 5ust etuned #om ad"anced counteinsu!ency tainin! at the U'S' $my John
7' Cennedy Special =a#ae Cente and School in 7ot Aa!!, Noth Caolina, and had
aleady le#t a bloody tail o# thousands o# the usual "ictims in the couse o# the U'S'8un
state teo campai!n in ,l Sal"ado, one pat o# a boade teo and totue campai!n
thou!hout the e!ion' $ll outine' 4!noed and "itually #o!otten in the United States and
by its allies, a!ain outine' Aut it tells us a lot about the #actos that di"e policy, i# 3e cae
to look at the eal 3old'
$nothe impotant e"ent took place in ,uope' So"iet pesident +ikhail &obache" a!eed
to allo3 the uni#ication o# &emany and its membeship in N$T%, a hostile militay
alliance' 4n the li!ht o# ecent histoy, this 3as a most astonishin! concession' Thee 3as a
quid pro quo' Pesident Aush and Secetay o# State James Aake a!eed that N$T% 3ould
not e6pand 9one inch to the ,ast,: meanin! into ,ast &emany' 4nstantly, they e6panded
N$T% to ,ast &emany'
&obache" 3as natually outa!ed, but 3hen he complained, he 3as instucted by
=ashin!ton that this had only been a "ebal pomise, a !entlemanDs a!eement, hence
3ithout #oce' 4# he 3as naF"e enou!h to accept the 3od o# $meican leades, it 3as his
poblem'
$ll o# this, too, 3as outine, as 3as the silent acceptance and appo"al o# the e6pansion o#
N$T% in the U'S' and the =est !eneally' Pesident Aill Clinton then e6panded N$T%
#uthe, i!ht up to <ussiaDs bodes' Today, the 3old #aces a seious cisis that is in no
small measue a esult o# these policies'
&he Appeal o! Plunering the Poor
$nothe souce o# e"idence is the declassi#ied histoical ecod' 4t contains e"ealin!
accounts o# the actual moti"es o# state policy' The stoy is ich and comple6, but a #e3
pesistent themes play a dominant ole' %ne 3as aticulated clealy at a 3esten
hemispheic con#eence called by the U'S' in +e6ico in 7ebuay 1;40 3hee =ashin!ton
imposed 9$n ,conomic Chate o# the $meicas: desi!ned to eliminate economic
nationalism 9in all its #oms': Thee 3as one unspoken condition' ,conomic nationalism
3ould be #ine #o the U'S' 3hose economy elies hea"ily on massi"e state inte"ention'
The elimination o# economic nationalism #o othes stood in shap con#lict 3ith the @atin
$meican stand o# that moment, 3hich State Depatment o##icials descibed as 9the
philosophy o# the Ne3 Nationalism GthatH embaces policies desi!ned to bin! about a
boade distibution o# 3ealth and to aise the standad o# li"in! o# the masses': $s U'S'
policy analysts added, 9@atin $meicans ae con"inced that the #ist bene#iciaies o# the
de"elopment o# a countyIs esouces should be the people o# that county':
That, o# couse, 3ill not do' =ashin!ton undestands that the 9#ist bene#iciaies: should be
U'S' in"estos, 3hile @atin $meica #ul#ills its se"ice #unction' 4t should not, as both the
Tuman and ,isenho3e administations 3ould make clea, unde!o 9e6cessi"e industial
de"elopment: that mi!ht in#in!e on U'S' inteests' Thus AaJil could poduce lo382uality
steel that U'S' copoations did not 3ant to bothe 3ith, but it 3ould be 9e6cessi"e,: 3ee it
to compete 3ith U'S' #ims'
Simila concens esonate thou!hout the post8=old =a 44 peiod' The !lobal system that
3as to be dominated by the U'S' 3as theatened by 3hat intenal documents call 9adical
and nationalistic e!imes: that espond to popula pessues #o independent de"elopment'
That 3as the concen that moti"ated the o"etho3 o# the paliamentay !o"enments o#
4an and &uatemala in 1;0K and 1;04, as 3ell as numeous othes' 4n the case o# 4an, a
ma5o concen 3as the potential impact o# 4anian independence on ,!ypt, then in tumoil
o"e Aitish colonial pactice' 4n &uatemala, apat #om the cime o# the ne3 democacy in
empo3ein! the peasant ma5oity and in#in!in! on possessions o# the United 7uit
Company 88 aleady o##ensi"e enou!h 88 =ashin!tonDs concen 3as labo unest and
popula mobiliJation in nei!hboin! U'S'8backed dictatoships'
4n both cases the conse2uences each to the pesent' @iteally not a day has passed since
1;0K 3hen the U'S' has not been totuin! the people o# 4an' &uatemala emains one o# the
3oldDs 3ost hoo chambes' To this day, +ayans ae #leein! #om the e##ects o# nea8
!enocidal !o"enment militay campai!ns in the hi!hlands backed by Pesident <onald
<ea!an and his top o##icials' $s the county diecto o# %6#am, a &uatemalan docto,
epoted ecently,
9Thee is a damatic deteioation o# the political, social, and economic conte6t' $ttacks
a!ainst Buman <i!hts de#endes ha"e inceased K00L duin! the last yea' Thee is a clea
e"idence o# a "ey 3ell o!aniJed state!y by the pi"ate secto and $my' Aoth ha"e
captued the !o"enment in ode to keep the status 2uo and to impose the e6taction
economic model, pushin! a3ay damatically indi!enous peoples #om thei o3n land, due
to the minin! industy, $#ican Palm and su!a cane plantations' 4n addition the social
mo"ement de#endin! thei land and i!hts has been ciminaliJed, many leades ae in 5ail,
and many othes ha"e been killed':
Nothin! is kno3n about this in the United States and the "ey ob"ious cause o# it emains
suppessed'
4n the 1;00s, Pesident ,isenho3e and Secetay o# State John 7oste Dulles e6plained
2uite clealy the dilemma that the U'S' #aced' They complained that the Communists had an
un#ai ad"anta!e' They 3ee able to 9appeal diectly to the masses: and 9!et contol o#
mass mo"ements, somethin! 3e ha"e no capacity to duplicate' The poo people ae the
ones they appeal to and they ha"e al3ays 3anted to plunde the ich':
That causes poblems' The U'S' someho3 #inds it di##icult to appeal to the poo 3ith its
doctine that the ich should plunde the poo'
&he Cuban $'ample
$ clea illustation o# the !eneal patten 3as Cuba, 3hen it #inally !ained independence in
1;0;' =ithin months, militay attacks on the island be!an' Shotly a#te, the ,isenho3e
administation made a secet decision to o"etho3 the !o"enment' John 7' Cennedy then
became pesident' Be intended to de"ote moe attention to @atin $meica and so, on takin!
o##ice, he ceated a study !oup to de"elop policies headed by the histoian $thu
Schlesin!e, 3ho summaiJed its conclusions #o the incomin! pesident'
$s Schlesin!e e6plained, theatenin! in an independent Cuba 3as 9the Casto idea o#
takin! mattes into oneIs o3n hands': 4t 3as an idea that un#otunately appealed to the mass
o# the population in @atin $meica 3hee 9the distibution o# land and othe #oms o#
national 3ealth !eatly #a"os the popetied classes, and the poo and undepi"ile!ed,
stimulated by the e6ample o# the Cuban e"olution, ae no3 demandin! oppotunities #o a
decent li"in!': $!ain, =ashin!tonDs usual dilemma'
$s the C4$ e6plained, 9The e6tensi"e in#luence o# ICastoismI is not a #unction o# Cuban
po3e''' CastoDs shado3 looms la!e because social and economic conditions thou!hout
@atin $meica in"ite opposition to ulin! authoity and encoua!e a!itation #o adical
chan!e,: #o 3hich his Cuba po"ides a model' Cennedy #eaed that <ussian aid mi!ht
make Cuba a 9sho3case: #o de"elopment, !i"in! the So"iets the uppe hand thou!hout
@atin $meica'
The State Depatment Policy Plannin! Council 3aned that 9the pimay dan!e 3e #ace in
Casto is''' in the impact the "ey e6istence o# his e!ime has upon the le#tist mo"ement in
many @atin $meican countiesM The simple #act is that Casto epesents a success#ul
de#iance o# the U'S', a ne!ation o# ou 3hole hemispheic policy o# almost a centuy and a
hal#: 88 that is, since the +onoe Doctine o# 1>2K, 3hen the U'S' declaed its intention o#
dominatin! the hemisphee'
The immediate !oal at the time 3as to con2ue Cuba, but that could not be achie"ed
because o# the po3e o# the Aitish enemy' Still, that !and state!ist John Nuincy $dams,
the intellectual #athe o# the +onoe Doctine and +ani#est Destiny, in#omed his
collea!ues that o"e time Cuba 3ould #all into ou hands by 9the la3s o# political
!a"itation,: as an apple #alls #om the tee' 4n bie#, U'S' po3e 3ould incease and
AitainDs 3ould decline'
4n 1>;>, $damsDs po!nosis 3as ealiJed' The U'S' in"aded Cuba in the !uise o# libeatin!
it' 4n #act, it pe"ented the islandDs libeation #om Spain and tuned it into a 9"itual
colony: to 2uote histoians ,nest +ay and Philip Oeliko3' Cuba emained so until Januay
1;0;, 3hen it !ained independence' Since that time it has been sub5ected to ma5o U'S'
teoist 3as, pimaily duin! the Cennedy yeas, and economic stan!ulation' Not
because o# the <ussians'
The petense all alon! 3as that 3e 3ee de#endin! ousel"es #om the <ussian theat 88 an
absud e6planation that !eneally 3ent unchallen!ed' $ simple test o# the thesis is 3hat
happened 3hen any concei"able <ussian theat disappeaed' U'S' policy to3ad Cuba
became e"en hashe, speaheaded by libeal Democats, includin! Aill Clinton, 3ho
out#lanked Aush #om the i!ht in the 1;;2 election' %n the #ace o# it, these e"ents should
ha"e consideable beain! on the "alidity o# the doctinal #ame3ok #o discussion o#
#oei!n policy and the #actos that di"e it' %nce a!ain, ho3e"e, the impact 3as sli!ht'
&he (irus o! )ationalism
To boo3 Beny Cissin!eDs teminolo!y, independent nationalism is a 9"ius: that mi!ht
9spead conta!ion': Cissin!e 3as e#ein! to Sal"ado $llendeDs Chile' The "ius 3as the
idea that thee mi!ht be a paliamentay path to3ads some kind o# socialist democacy'
The 3ay to deal 3ith such a theat is to destoy the "ius and to inoculate those 3ho mi!ht
be in#ected, typically by imposin! mudeous national secuity states' That 3as achie"ed in
the case o# Chile, but it is impotant to eco!niJe that the thinkin! holds 3old3ide'
4t 3as, #o e6ample, the easonin! behind the decision to oppose Pietnamese nationalism in
the ealy 1;00s and suppot 7anceDs e##ot to econ2ue its #ome colony' 4t 3as #eaed
that independent Pietnamese nationalism mi!ht be a "ius that 3ould spead conta!ion to
the suoundin! e!ions, includin! esouce8ich 4ndonesia' That mi!ht e"en ha"e led Japan
88 called the 9supedomino: by $sia schola John Do3e 88 to become the industial and
commecial cente o# an independent ne3 ode o# the kind impeial Japan had so ecently
#ou!ht to establish' That, in tun, 3ould ha"e meant that the U'S' had lost the Paci#ic 3a,
not an option to be consideed in 1;00' The emedy 3as clea 88 and la!ely achie"ed'
Pietnam 3as "itually destoyed and in!ed by militay dictatoships that kept the 9"ius:
#om speadin! conta!ion'
4n etospect, Cennedy8Johnson National Secuity $d"ise +c&eo!e Aundy e#lected that
=ashin!ton should ha"e ended the Pietnam =a in 1;Q0, 3hen the Suhato dictatoship
3as installed in 4ndonesia, 3ith enomous massaces that the C4$ compaed to the cimes
o# Bitle, Stalin, and +ao' These 3ee, ho3e"e, !eeted 3ith unconstained euphoia in the
U'S' and the =est !eneally because the 9sta!!ein! bloodbath,: as the pess chee#ully
descibed it, ended any theat o# conta!ion and opened 4ndonesiaDs ich esouces to
3esten e6ploitation' $#te that, the 3a to destoy Pietnam 3as supe#luous, as Aundy
eco!niJed in etospect'
The same 3as tue in @atin $meica in the same yeas) one "ius a#te anothe 3as
"iciously attacked and eithe destoyed o 3eakened to the point o# bae su"i"al' 7om the
ealy 1;Q0s, a pla!ue o# epession 3as imposed on the continent that had no pecedent in
the "iolent histoy o# the hemisphee, e6tendin! to Cental $meica in the 1;>0s unde
<onald <ea!an, a matte that thee should be no need to e"ie3'
+uch the same 3as tue in the +iddle ,ast' The uni2ue U'S' elations 3ith 4sael 3ee
established in thei cuent #om in 1;Q., 3hen 4sael deli"eed a smashin! blo3 to ,!ypt,
the cente o# secula $ab nationalism' Ay doin! so, it potected U'S' ally Saudi $abia,
then en!a!ed in militay con#lict 3ith ,!ypt in Remen' Saudi $abia, o# couse, is the most
e6teme adical #undamentalist 4slamic state, and also a missionay state, e6pendin! hu!e
sums to establish its =ahhabi8Sala#i doctines beyond its bodes' 4t is 3oth emembein!
that the U'S', like ,n!land be#oe it, has tended to suppot adical #undamentalist 4slam in
opposition to secula nationalism, 3hich has usually been pecei"ed as posin! moe o# a
theat o# independence and conta!ion'
&he (alue o! Secrecy
Thee is much moe to say, but the histoical ecod demonstates "ey clealy that the
standad doctine has little meit' Secuity in the nomal sense is not a pominent #acto in
policy #omation'
To epeat, in the normal sense' Aut in e"aluatin! the standad doctine 3e ha"e to ask 3hat
is actually meant by 9secuity:) secuity #o 3hom?
%ne ans3e is) secuity #o state po3e' Thee ae many illustations' Take a cuent one' 4n
+ay, the U'S' a!eed to suppot a U'N' Secuity Council esolution callin! on the
4ntenational Ciminal Cout to in"esti!ate 3a cimes in Syia, but 3ith a po"iso) thee
could be no in2uiy into possible 3a cimes by 4sael' % by =ashin!ton, thou!h it 3as
eally unnecessay to add that last condition' The U'S' is uni2uely sel#8immuniJed #om the
intenational le!al system' 4n #act, thee is e"en con!essional le!islation authoiJin! the
pesident to use amed #oce to 9escue: any $meican bou!ht to the Ba!ue #o tial 88 the
9Nethelands 4n"asion $ct,: as it is sometimes called in ,uope' That once a!ain illustates
the impotance o# potectin! the secuity o# state po3e'
Aut potectin! it #om 3hom? Thee is, in #act, a ston! case to be made that a pime
concen o# !o"enment is the secuity o# state po3e #om the population' $s those 3ho
ha"e spent time umma!in! thou!h achi"es should be a3ae, !o"enment sececy is
aely moti"ated by a !enuine #o secuity, but it de#initely does se"e to keep the
population in the dak' $nd #o !ood easons, 3hich 3ee lucidly e6plained by the
pominent libeal schola and !o"enment ad"ise Samuel Buntin!ton, the po#esso o# the
science o# !o"enment at Ba"ad Uni"esity' 4n his 3ods) 9The achitects o# po3e in the
United States must ceate a #oce that can be #elt but not seen' Po3e emains ston! 3hen
it emains in the dakS e6posed to the sunli!ht it be!ins to e"apoate':
Be 3ote that in 1;>1, 3hen the Cold =a 3as a!ain heatin! up, and he e6plained #uthe
that 9you may ha"e to sell Ginte"ention o othe militay actionH in such a 3ay as to ceate
the misimpession that it is the So"iet Union that you ae #i!htin!' That is 3hat the United
States has been doin! e"e since the Tuman Doctine':
These simple tuths ae aely ackno3led!ed, but they po"ide insi!ht into state po3e and
policy, 3ith e"ebeations to the pesent moment'
State po3e has to be potected #om its domestic enemyS in shap contast, the population
is not secue #om state po3e' $ stikin! cuent illustation is the adical attack on the
Constitution by the %bama administationDs massi"e su"eillance po!am' 4t is, o# couse,
5usti#ied by 9national secuity': That is outine #o "itually all actions o# all states and so
caies little in#omation'
=hen the NS$Ds su"eillance po!am 3as e6posed by ,d3ad Sno3denDs e"elations,
hi!h o##icials claimed that it had pe"ented 04 teoist acts' %n in2uiy, that 3as 3hittled
do3n to a doJen' $ hi!h8le"el !o"enment panel then disco"eed that thee 3as actually
only one case) someone had sent T>,000 to Somalia' That 3as the total yield o# the hu!e
assault on the Constitution and, o# couse, on othes thou!hout the 3old'
AitainDs attitude is inteestin!' 4n 200., the Aitish !o"enment called on =ashin!tonDs
colossal spy a!ency 9to analyJe and etain any Aitish citiJensD mobile phone and #a6
numbes, emails, and 4P addesses s3ept up by its da!net,: the Guardian epoted' That is
a use#ul indication o# the elati"e si!ni#icance, in !o"enment eyes, o# the pi"acy o# its
o3n citiJens and o# =ashin!tonDs demands'
$nothe concen is secuity #o pi"ate po3e' %ne cuent illustation is the hu!e tade
a!eements no3 bein! ne!otiated, the Tans8Paci#ic and Tans8$tlantic pacts' These ae
bein! ne!otiated in secet 88 but not completely in secet' They ae not secet #om the
hundeds o# copoate la3yes 3ho ae da3in! up the detailed po"isions' 4t is not had to
!uess 3hat the esults 3ill be, and the #e3 leaks about them su!!est that the e6pectations
ae accuate' @ike N$7T$ and othe such pacts, these ae not #ee tade a!eements' 4n #act,
they ae not e"en tade a!eements, but pimaily in"esto i!hts a!eements'
$!ain, sececy is citically impotant to potect the pimay domestic constituency o# the
!o"enments in"ol"ed, the copoate secto'
&he Final Century o! *uman Ci"ilization#
Thee ae othe e6amples too numeous to mention, #acts that ae 3ell8established and
3ould be tau!ht in elementay schools in #ee societies'
Thee is, in othe 3ods, ample e"idence that secuin! state po3e #om the domestic
population and secuin! concentated pi"ate po3e ae di"in! #oces in policy #omation'
%# couse, it is not 2uite that simple' Thee ae inteestin! cases, some 2uite cuent, 3hee
these commitments con#lict, but conside this a !ood #ist appo6imation and adically
opposed to the ecei"ed standad doctine'
@et us tun to anothe 2uestion) =hat about the secuity o# the population? 4t is easy to
demonstate that this is a ma!inal concen o# policy plannes' Take t3o pominent cuent
e6amples, !lobal 3amin! and nuclea 3eapons' $s any liteate peson is doubtless a3ae,
these ae die theats to the secuity o# the population' Tunin! to state policy, 3e #ind that it
is committed to acceleatin! each o# those theats 88 in the inteests o# the pimay concens,
potection o# state po3e and o# the concentated pi"ate po3e that la!ely detemines
state policy'
Conside !lobal 3amin!' Thee is no3 much e6ubeance in the United States about 9100
yeas o# ene!y independence: as 3e become 9the Saudi $abia o# the ne6t centuy: 88
pehaps the #inal centuy o# human ci"iliJation i# cuent policies pesist'
That illustates "ey clealy the natue o# the concen #o secuity, cetainly not #o the
population' 4t also illustates the moal calculus o# contempoay $n!lo8$meican state
capitalism) the #ate o# ou !andchilden counts as nothin! 3hen compaed 3ith the
impeati"e o# hi!he po#its tomoo3'
These conclusions ae #oti#ied by a close look at the popa!anda system' Thee is a hu!e
public elations campai!n in the U'S', o!aniJed 2uite openly by Ai! ,ne!y and the
business 3old, to ty to con"ince the public that !lobal 3amin! is eithe uneal o not a
esult o# human acti"ity' $nd it has had some impact' The U'S' anks lo3e than othe
counties in public concen about !lobal 3amin! and the esults ae stati#ied) amon!
<epublicans, the paty moe #ully dedicated to the inteests o# 3ealth and copoate po3e,
it anks #a lo3e than the !lobal nom'
The cuent issue o# the pemie 5ounal o# media citicism, the Columbia Journalism
Review, has an inteestin! aticle on this sub5ect, attibutin! this outcome to the media
doctine o# 9#ai and balanced': 4n othe 3ods, i# a 5ounal publishes an opinion piece
e#lectin! the conclusions o# ;.L o# scientists, it must also un a counte8piece e6pessin!
the "ie3point o# the ene!y copoations'
That indeed is 3hat happens, but thee cetainly is no 9#ai and balanced: doctine' Thus, i#
a 5ounal uns an opinion piece denouncin! <ussian Pesident Pladimi Putin #o the
ciminal act o# takin! o"e the Cimea, it suely does not ha"e to un a piece pointin! out
that, 3hile the act is indeed ciminal, <ussia has a #a ston!e case today than the U'S' did
moe than a centuy a!o in takin! o"e southeasten Cuba, includin! the countyDs ma5o
pot 88 and e5ectin! the Cuban demand since independence to ha"e it etuned' $nd the
same is tue o# many othe cases' The actual media doctine is 9#ai and balanced: 3hen the
concens o# concentated pi"ate po3e ae in"ol"ed, but suely not else3hee'
%n the issue o# nuclea 3eapons, the ecod is similaly inteestin! 88 and #i!htenin!' 4t
e"eals "ey clealy that, #om the ealiest days, the secuity o# the population 3as a non8
issue, and emains so' Thee is no time hee to un thou!h the shockin! ecod, but thee is
little doubt that it ston!ly suppots the lament o# &eneal @ee Autle, the last commande
o# the State!ic $i Command, 3hich 3as amed 3ith nuclea 3eapons' 4n his 3ods, 3e
ha"e so #a su"i"ed the nuclea a!e 9by some combination o# skill, luck, and di"ine
inte"ention, and 4 suspect the latte in !eatest popotion': $nd 3e can hadly count on
continued di"ine inte"ention as policymakes play oulette 3ith the #ate o# the species in
pusuit o# the di"in! #actos in policy #omation'
$s 3e ae all suely a3ae, 3e no3 #ace the most ominous decisions in human histoy'
Thee ae many poblems that must be addessed, but t3o ae o"e3helmin! in thei
si!ni#icance) en"ionmental destuction and nuclea 3a' 7o the #ist time in histoy, 3e
#ace the possibility o# destoyin! the pospects #o decent e6istence 88 and not in the distant
#utue' 7o this eason alone, it is impeati"e to s3eep a3ay the ideolo!ical clouds and #ace
honestly and ealistically the 2uestion o# ho3 policy decisions ae made, and 3hat 3e can
do to alte them be#oe it is too late'
U 2014 Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky is 4nstitute Po#esso (etied1 at +4T' Be is the autho o# many books and
aticles on intenational a##ais and social8political issues, and a lon!8time paticipant in
acti"ist mo"ements' Bis most ecent books include) Po+er Systems: Con"ersations on
Global ,emocratic Uprisings an the )e+ Challenges to U.S. $mpire (with interviewer
David Barsamian), -a.ing the Future: /ccupations0 1nter"entions0 $mpire an
Resistance , *opes an Prospects, and Pro!it /"er People: )eoliberalism 2 Global
/rer' Pe"ious books include) 3455: 56th Anni"ersary $ition, Faile States, What We
Say Goes (3ith Da"id Aasamian1, *egemony or Sur"i"al, and the $ssential Choms.y'
moe Noam Chomsky