Ukraine And Beyond: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask Noam Chomsky

Want to know what really led up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ever wondered who the good guys are? Concerned about what the future holds for broader global relations?

Then look no further than this video interview with Professor Noam Chomsky.

At 93, Chomsky remains unarguably one of history’s greatest Jewish intellectuals and purveyors of peace and common sense.

The interview is 40 minutes long, but if that’s too much for you, (a), pull your head In, and (b) below is a very basic rundown you can memorise before the next family dinner.

1. Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.
2. He joins a long line of war criminals, including George W. Bush, Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler.
3. Before Putin became a war criminal, Western leaders gave repeated assurances (throughout the late 80s and early 90s) that they would not seek to expand the borders of NATO.
4. In 1996, Bill Clinton began aggressively expanding the borders of NATO, despite the earlier promises and warnings it was a very bad idea.
5. When Putin came to power, he joined a succession of Russian leaders who clearly told Western leaders repeatedly that if they kept expanding NATO’s borders towards Russia, then eventually something would snap and someone would open a can of whoop arse.
6. Putin opened that can of whoop arse, albeit with an incompetent, paper tiger of a military. Russia can’t even capture territory a few miles inland from its own border with Ukraine.
7. Having said that, they have nuclear weapons and Putin would be likely to use them under certain conditions.
8. Preventing more shit from hitting more fans is going to be difficult because the US policy on Ukraine is to not negotiate for a solution. Indeed, the US policy on Russia more broadly is simply to weaken it over time.
9. The US has the same basic policy towards China, and is encircling it by establishing bases around the pacific, including in Australia.
10. Like Russia, China does some horrible things to its citizens, but no more or less horrible than numerous other US allies, including Israel.
11. Most concerningly, unlike Europe, China doesn’t give a rat’s arse what the US says they should do. This obviously makes China very dangerous in the eyes of the US.
12. If the US and China don’t ultimately find a way to negotiate, then organised human civilization will end.
13. The biggest threat America actually faces is not Russia or China, but the Republican Party.