Is There Hope in This Desperate Time?

By: Professors Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn

Noted academics and political commentators Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky spoke at a fundraiser for the Homeless Empowerment Project, publisher of spare change news, and addressed the question, "Is there hope in this desperate time?" Each spoke for about 20 minutes and answered questions for over an hour. At the beginning, Zinn jokingly said that he would speak about hope and let Chomsky deal with desperation. Both Zinn and Chomsky spoke about how political and social matters had improved for the better during the past century and that today's times were not as desperate as in the past.

During the Q&A period, it was pointed out that both Zinn and Chomsky have the same approach to the presidential election as Bernie Sanders, a socialist, and Sam Webb, a communist. The question of voting for the "lesser of two evils" was addressed, as well as the myth of elections being the zenith of democracy.

Howard Zinn is a former Boston University professor and author of A People's History of the United States, which examines historical grassroots movements and their impact on American society. Noam Chomsky is a renowned professor of linguistics at M.I.T. and an analyst of U.S. foreign policy.

This speech was recorded on September 27, 2004, at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston.

Listen to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States and Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival.©2004 Radio Free Maine and Roger Leisner (P)2004 Radio Free Maine and Roger Leisner

listen, and open your mind

these men are going to make you uncomfortable, because they explore topics we as a nation have deemed too distressing to think about. But if you listen closely and with an open mind, you may come to see that most of us -- probably you too -- have been drawn into the process whereby consent is manufactured, and power is kept for the few.

Review

An informative discussion on the problems in America by two great writers. Although the sound quality isn't the greatest, for the price I would recommend it anyway.

Dynamic Duo

With two of the greatest minds-ever doing much of the speaking here, if you have a chance to listen to this, don't pass it up.

Two wonderful souls sharing wisd

It was worth every penny and more to hear their hope expressed. What a world apart from the poop spewed from the boob tubes of mis and disinformation