Eric Schaefer

Johanna Kephart

Tim Canelo

Ryan Slattery

Professor Noam Chomsky: Role Profile

“Either you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound like it's from Neptune.” – Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is recognized internationally for his critical analysis of the Middle East. His thoroughly documented research draws on an immense range of sources, including Hebrew texts rarely discussed in the United States, declassified government planning documents, and other sources all too often overlooked in discussions of the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A very outspoken critic of the United States and its policies regarding foreign affairs, Chomsky’s analysis is a useful tool in debugging Middle Eastern politics. He has argued that the U.S. is itself a terrorist state that has committed its own acts of terrorism abroad. He has referred to the U.S. as a leading terrorist state and condemns the war in Afghanistan as well as the current conflict in Iraq. Professor Chomsky has adamantly stated that the United States should bear a great deal of responsibility in regards to the current situation of Afghanistan. Leading the critics of Noam Chomsky in our simulation will be most assuredly be Rush Limbaugh and Fox News, among others. Siding with (some of) Chomsky’s views will most likely be the BBC, who regularly asks him to lend commentary in the “real world.”

Avram Noam Chomsky was born on December 7, 1928 in Philadelphia. He experienced virulent anti-Semitism growing up, but he says his political views haven’t changed since he was a boy (Chomsky, Chronicles of Dissent). He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and also received his Ph.D. in linguistics there in 1955. He has been on the staff at MIT since 1955 and is still a professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (Noam Chomsky, MIT). He has revolutionized the field of linguistics with his theory of transformational grammar. He has published 33 books on linguistics and about 40 on politics and is among the eight most cited authors of all time (Szabo).

In regards to the conflict between Israel and the Arab communities he is an avid Arab sympathizer who regards the U.S. involvement with Israel as unnecessary. He claims that Israel is already a formidable force in the region, boasting the regions largest standing army and Air Force, what purpose does America’s involvement serve if only to bully the region and maintain its “strategic” position in the region. He is very opposed to the establishment of a Jewish state, a view that is in contradiction with his Zionist upbringing. His book The Fateful Triangle is considered one of the premier texts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict among those who oppose Israel's policies in regard to the Palestinians as well as American support for the state of Israel. Chomsky characterizes Israel as a "mercenary state,” and “an Israeli Sparta,” among other things.

Chomsky has also stated that he considers himself to be a conservative (Chomsky's Politics, pp. 188) of the Classical liberal variety. He has further defined himself as a Zionist; although, he notes that his definition of Zionism is considered by most to be anti-Zionism these days, the result of what he perceives to have been a shift (since the 1940s) in the meaning of Zionism (Chomsky Reader).

Chomsky's greatest contributions come in the form of books and lectures where he has been successful in maintaining his opposition to mainstream ideas, going against many groups who would not mind having him kept quiet. This resilience makes him a powerful player, even when several Israeli groups have black listed him for his views. Some other very well known books include 9-11 (written in the year of the 9/11 attacks and published in 26 different languages) and Power and Terror: Post-9/11 Talks and Interviews. Another book, American Power and the New Mandarins: Historical and Political Essays, is a book that is said to have established Chomsky’s reputation as a leading critic of US foreign policy.

Seeing what kind of political views Noam Chomsky has (as can be read in his books), one can easily tell that he has desires of US (at least more) cooperation with other nations in regards to forming US foreign policy.