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Keeping the Rabble in Line: Interviews with David Barsamian by David Barsamian, Noam Chomsky
moodswinger's review
4.0
While Rabble is one of the minor books in the Chomsky oeuvre, it is as thought-provoking and informative as any other Chomsky.
Keeping the Rabble in Line deals mainly with early 90s politics, including NAFTA, GATT, Haiti, the Bush Sr. administrations, as well as early Clinton administration. Other, more permanent issues, such as media control, gun control, global warming, health care and even a quick note on the internet, are also discussed in the context of the times. Yet, the book does not feel outdated, and in fact provides the reader with background to understand the present situation not just on these issues, but also the Third Worldization of the wealthy nations, as well as American foreign policy in Israel/Palestine/Lebanon, or Chile.
While these are all complex issues, they are explained in an accessible manner. This corrobarates one of Chomsky's most important ideas, that if economy policy is described plainly, the average person can understand not just the reasons behind it, but also why it's negative for the working class. (And if the word 'class' makes you recoil, Rabble also features a primer on why and how the American business class has made this word odious for those toiling under them.)
The one thing I think Rabble could've been clearer about is how Nixon's dismantling of the Bretton Woods system lead to unregulated capital floating around. (Sidenote: Isn't Chomsky amazing? I can type phrases such as "Nixon's dismantling of the Bretton Woods system" and have more than a vague idea about what I'm talking about.) Specifically, what is/was this unregulated capital? Why is it bad that it became unregulated? What could've been done to alleviate the effects of the dismantling of the Bretton Woods system? I feel that, while Barsamian's questions and Chomsky's answers were immensely clear about all other topics covered in the book, this unregulated capital kept coming up in various discussions, without really explaining what unregulated meant in that context.
Also, and aside from the index, a few footnotes linking related topics together (e.g. "see more of this topic in interview #3") would've added clarity and made the book seem more thought-out and cohesive.
Keeping the Rabble in Line deals mainly with early 90s politics, including NAFTA, GATT, Haiti, the Bush Sr. administrations, as well as early Clinton administration. Other, more permanent issues, such as media control, gun control, global warming, health care and even a quick note on the internet, are also discussed in the context of the times. Yet, the book does not feel outdated, and in fact provides the reader with background to understand the present situation not just on these issues, but also the Third Worldization of the wealthy nations, as well as American foreign policy in Israel/Palestine/Lebanon, or Chile.
While these are all complex issues, they are explained in an accessible manner. This corrobarates one of Chomsky's most important ideas, that if economy policy is described plainly, the average person can understand not just the reasons behind it, but also why it's negative for the working class. (And if the word 'class' makes you recoil, Rabble also features a primer on why and how the American business class has made this word odious for those toiling under them.)
The one thing I think Rabble could've been clearer about is how Nixon's dismantling of the Bretton Woods system lead to unregulated capital floating around. (Sidenote: Isn't Chomsky amazing? I can type phrases such as "Nixon's dismantling of the Bretton Woods system" and have more than a vague idea about what I'm talking about.) Specifically, what is/was this unregulated capital? Why is it bad that it became unregulated? What could've been done to alleviate the effects of the dismantling of the Bretton Woods system? I feel that, while Barsamian's questions and Chomsky's answers were immensely clear about all other topics covered in the book, this unregulated capital kept coming up in various discussions, without really explaining what unregulated meant in that context.
Also, and aside from the index, a few footnotes linking related topics together (e.g. "see more of this topic in interview #3") would've added clarity and made the book seem more thought-out and cohesive.
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