...is coming to give a lecture on politics and current events at my college!!! Omg wow, I'm so excited! I'm even taking the day off work to go! Yaaaaaayyyy!!!!! :22:
I'm so enchanted that there are people on LPSG who actually know who Noam Chomsky is. You know he's doing something right when the US Government has him on every "unfriendly to the state" list they can come up with.
He's a very talented genius and a National Treasure. He was also one of my professors. Listen very closely, he makes a point of not speaking quite loud enough so you can easily hear him. It's his schtick.
I have been reading Chomsky since I was about 16.
Chomsky's a smart guy.
But the late Bill Buckley kicked his ass.
...is coming to give a lecture on politics and current events at my college!!! Omg wow, I'm so excited! I'm even taking the day off work to go! Yaaaaaayyyy!!!!! :22:
who buckley? no he died a month or so ago
Hmm I'm hot/cold on this one.
I sympathize with much of what Chomsky says, but I really hate the way he says it. He's not a very good writer, and a worse speaker. Usually his political work is just rehashing what other people have said more eloquently or with more nuance and detail. I much prefer Howard Zinn in this regard. Also, Zinn is a much better speaker, and seems like a much nicer guy. And I would take a speech by Arundhati Roy over Chomsky any day of the week.
Regarding linguistics, the guy drives me nuts. (Has anyone ever read The Minimalist Program? Ugh.) I feel like with language, he always asks the right questions, but has the wrong answers.
Stacy - sorry to be a grump. Have a great time!