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Noam Chomsky

Who Rules the World? (American Empire Project) Hardcover – May 10, 2016

by Noam Chomsky (Author)

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A New York Times Bestseller

The world’s leading intellectual offers a probing examination of the waning American Century, the nature of U.S. policies post-9/11, and the perils of valuing power above democracy and human rights

In an incisive, thorough analysis of the current international situation, Noam Chomsky argues that the United States, through its military-first policies and its unstinting devotion to maintaining a world-spanning empire, is both risking catastrophe and wrecking the global commons. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the expanding drone assassination program to the threat of nuclear warfare, as well as the flashpoints of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, he offers unexpected and nuanced insights into the workings of imperial power on our increasingly chaotic planet.

In the process, Chomsky provides a brilliant anatomy of just how U.S. elites have grown ever more insulated from any democratic constraints on their power. While the broader population is lulled into apathy―diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable―the corporations and the rich have increasingly been allowed to do as they please.

Fierce, unsparing, and meticulously documented, Who Rules the World? delivers the indispensable understanding of the central conflicts and dangers of our time that we have come to expect from Chomsky.

Part of series

American Empire Project
Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Metropolitan Books
Publication date

May 10, 2016
Dimensions

7 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

162779381X
ISBN-13

978-1627793810
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chomsky’s book is . . . a polemic designed to awaken Americans from complacency. America, in his view, must be reined in, and he makes the case with verve. . . . We should understand it as a plea to end American hypocrisy, to introduce a more consistently principled dimension to American relations with the world, and, instead of assuming American benevolence, to scrutinize critically how the US government actually exercises its still-unmatched power."
―The New York Review of Books

"Chomsky is a global phenomenon. . . . He may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet."
―The New York Times Book Review

"With relentless logic, Chomsky bids us to listen closely to what our leaders tell us―and to discern what they are leaving out. . . . Agree with him or not, we lose out by not listening."
―BusinessWeek

"How did we ever get to be an empire? The writings of Noam Chomsky―America's most useful citizen―are the best answer to that question."
―The Boston Globe

"It is possible that, if the United States goes the way of nineteenth-century Britain, Chomsky's interpretation will be the standard among historians a hundred years from now."
―The New Yorker

"For anyone wanting to find out more about the world we live in . . . there is one simple answer: read Noam Chomsky."
―New Statesman

About the Author

Noam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political works, including Hegemony or Survival and Failed States. A laureate professor at the University of Arizona and professor emeritus of linguistics and philosophy at MIT, he is widely credited with having revolutionized modern linguistics. He lives in Tuscon, Arizona.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Metropolitan Books; First Edition (May 10, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 162779381X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1627793810
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1.25 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #883,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,926 in International & World Politics (Books)
- #89,586 in History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 1,360 ratings

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Noam Chomsky

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Avram Noam Chomsky (/ˈnoʊm ˈtʃɒmski/; born December 7, 1928) is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, logician, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes described as "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy, and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He has spent more than half a century at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is Institute Professor Emeritus, and is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media. Ideologically, he aligns with anarcho-syndicalism and libertarian socialism.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/culturaargentina [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Ahmad

must read

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023

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Eye opening book. It helped me understand the current state of the world and how the US policies has shaped the mess we live through right now.

One person found this helpful

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Russell Ferrell

probably the greatest philosopher and social analyst of our time

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018

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Noam Chomsky's Who Rules the World? is probably his most recent work and discusses one of the most important questions of our time. While many Americans may think that the leading politicians from the party in power are the rulers, Professor Chomsky, probably the greatest philosopher and social analyst of our time, gets to the truth about power. His analysis is quite different than what one might find in the corporate media or from the conservative/liberal punditry. The real rulers are the elites behind the scenes who fund the campaigns of the politicians, who are merely drones taking their cues and marching orders from their corporate and oligarchic sponsors. The book concisely addresses this influence source and how it impacts democracy. For a better understanding of political, economic and social reality, I highly recommend this book or any books written by Noam Chomsky. I am taking liberty to attach below certain excerpts from the book that I think were interesting and profoundly accurate.

According to Professor Chomsky, the U.S. supports democracy if, and only if, the outcomes accord with its strategic and economic objectives. The activism of the 1960s elicited elite concerns about excessive democracy. But the Republican Party cannot get enough votes from its core constituency who benefits from its policies, so must innovate by mobilizing social tendencies: nativists trembling in fear and hatred by religious extremists. As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, and diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they please. The Republican Party is a radical insurgency that has virtually abandoned normal parliamentary politics.

Congressional Republicans are dismantling the limited environmental protections initiated by Richard Nixon, who would be something of a dangerous radical in todays political scene. We face two perfidious avenues to global calamity: nuclear war (intentional or accidental) and climate change due to human burning of fossil fuels. The U.S. is the only nation that doesn't have a national policy for restricting the use of fossil fuels and doesn't even have renewable energy targets. This reflects the power and influence of the fossil fuels industry and giant multi-national corporations like Exxon-Mobil.

Ronald Reagan's fiscal irresponsibility turned the U.S. from the world's leading creditor to the world's leading debtor, tripling the national debt and raising threats to the economy that were escalated by George W. Bush. (Page 63) Due to declining profits in domestic manufacturing, planners - private and public, shifted the U.S. economy toward financialization and offshoring of production beginning in the late 1970s. NAFTA, labeled as a free trade agreement, was nothing of the sort; it was an investors' rights agreement. The rights of corporations by now far transcend those of mere humans. (page 94) In past decades, 95% of growth has gone into the pockets of 1% of the population.

29 people found this helpful

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Frank Donnelly

Extremely Educational And Deeply Thought Out, But, For Me, Typical Noam Chomsky

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2022

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If one has never read or studied Noam Chomsky, be ready for a treat. Professor Chomsky has an unusual way of analyzing history and facts, and renders analysis that I personally don’t encounter elsewhere. I always learn a lot when I study a work such as this. I need to state that I do quite a bit of parallel study when I read Noam Chomsky.

At the same time, as I have aged, I read less of Noam Chomsky than I used to. Why? Because there is a consistent theme that really never changes. Obviously this is possibly due to a brilliant intellectual coming to firmly held convictions that he has no reason to change. I respect that, but if I already know where he is headed, and what conclusions will be drawn, then what I learn now is the surrounding facts which I study. I already know the conclusion.

I do not travel in intellectual circles. I have no one to discuss this work or Professor Chomsky with. Therefore what I say next may be wildly inaccurate…. Professor Chomsky reminds me very much stylistically of H. L. Mencken. I loved studying H. L. Mencken when I was younger. However after awhile, I would learn new information from the subject matter, I knew where Mister Mencken was headed intellectually.

In any event I enjoyed this work very much. I learned a lot, mostly background and supporting facts, if one has read much of Noam Chomsky in the past, one may find this a well written repetition of his prior message. Thank You for taking the time to read this review…

31 people found this helpful

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Biak Khun

Chomsky writes very fluidly and with easy language. Every single chapter is a treasure of ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016

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Chomsky talks with no loyalty to any of the two parties, not for the DNC nor for the GOP. He delivers truth, well researched, and he provides insights about available resources which the main stream media do not mention nor reference. It is difficult to accept many truths and facts if we do not lose our loyalty to both parties. It is very unlikely we will accept these truths if we are nationalists. The truth is there and Chomsky is our precious resource when we cannot rely on main stream media for honest and objective information concerning some of the most important issues we have to face.

Chomsky writes very fluidly and with easy language. Every single chapter is a treasure of information. I am more than halfway through the book, and I have learned a lot more of a critical amount of information concerning our GOVT and our policies and the way the world powers cater to serve only one purpose.

There is no other author capable of sharing with us so much useful and critical information which is not provided by the media servant to the established powers. Chomsky has written so many books, you can really learn a lot more reading his books than you will by going 6-8 years to a university studying about political history or political science.

37 people found this helpful

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zadig

Typical Chomsky

Reviewed in Spain on March 2, 2018

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A was expecting more about who rules the world, how decisions are taken and by who. What's the role of IMF and lobbyist groups. But the book talks almost entirely about how imperialist and violent are the USA and israel. Which is true btw, but the book title is misleading imo.

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Dr. Charles J. Krebs

Start to think how we can change the world

Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2017

Verified Purchase

If you wish to know why the world is enmeshed in armed conflict, read this book. It is somewhat repetitive, but gives you the evidence behind the fact that the majority of humans on earth view the United States as the greatest threat to peace in the world today.

5 people found this helpful

Cliente de Amazon

Wlcome to the machine o bienvenidos a la maquina by Roller Waters

Reviewed in Mexico on January 14, 2017

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Vivimos en un sistema que al correr libre, va donde le permitimos y como se han apoderado de el los políticos y los empresarios de Grandes consorcios, pues nos tienen atrapados a su antojo.
Y además percibo que a la mayoría de la gente le gusta emular a los ricos y por tanto vivimos queriendo ser quien no somos y no podemos ser.
Ojalá que nos demos cuenta que ser auténticos y más espirituales y solidarios, resultaría en un Mundo muchísimo mejor.
Basta con ver como es posible que una persona como Trump, pueda marear a tanta gente y salirse con la suya, cuando tiene una mente terriblemente limitada y un Alma terriblemente pequeña...

3 people found this helpful

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rumtytum

What rule?

Reviewed in Australia on May 14, 2019

Verified Purchase

So detailed, so sensible, so widely ignored. It's insanity to keep doing something stupidly, vilely destructive again and again while hoping each time that this time it will end differently. The people have been forced to become spectators of, not participants in decisions that affect us all. Surely something must change?

Matt

Thorough and pervasive questioning down to first principles - worth the read

Reviewed in Canada on March 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is the first book I have read by Noam Chomsky and it is an impressive and persuasive collection of essays on U.S. priorities. I suspect that many readers will disagree with Chomsky's conclusions but I think what he does so well is illuminate the question of first principles. Some of my thoughts are below but overall, this is a collection of essays well worth reading and very rewarding.

The most impactful essays for me:
- Why does the U.S. support Israel when the international community condemns the colonial actions and other war crimes?
- Is Iran the most significant global threat to peace? The greatest nuclear threat? The extent of the North American media placating to this line of thinking in stark contrast to the fears on those in these areas and global opinion more generally.

The soft edges that are a bit less satisfying:
- levers on this forceful breadth of knowledge to dismiss alternatives: no reason to invade Iraq and wholesale and easily dismisses that arguments were ever provided
- leftist-revolutionary sympathizer: pro-Castro as a democratic and labour-led movement, briefly acknowledging that U.S. had some reason to be concerned. (Not that Castro was so crazy that Gorbachev made the move to pull the nukes)
- bait and switch title - who rules the world is admitted to be too complex to answer and the wrong question altogether.

Low points:
- generally, any author who starts a book with their role as an intellectual is pretty off putting. Jordan Peterson loves to do this and it comes across as really alienating. My view is that Descartes really strikes a better tone in Meditations, introduced as a letter to the reining intellectuals rather than announcing himself as the autocrat of thought. One could interpret this more generously but it came across to me an unnecessary flex.
- the book is a collection of essays with different themes but Chomsky copy-pastes his arguments in a few places with the exact same sequencing of arguments. Other reviewers commented it could have done with an editor. I think it is an excellent collection of essays. It makes me feel a bit like an underappreciated reader to re-read the same argument multiple times.

2 people found this helpful

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