Noam Chomsky

When I hear of news like Noam Chomsky's recent kerfuffle with Israeli border security — an all-too-predictable episode of state-level hypersensitivity manifesting in the form of draconian policy — I'm reminded of a book written by Marc Ellis about post-Holocaust Jewish liberation theology. A bit of a jump, I know, but bear with me.

Following the closing event featuring Arundhati Roy and Noam Chomsky, I sat down with two Mantlers to get their opinions on their speeches and on Left Forum 2010 as a whole.

This is the moment Left Forum 2010 had been building up to for three days. It began with Jesse Jackson, it ended with Noam Chomsky, quite nice bookends for your Left Forum bookshelf.

Frances Fox Piven provided introductory remarks for the closing plenary. She paid homage to the late historian and truth-teller, Howard Zinn. Piven also indicated that record crowds and a record number of younger attendees came to the conference. Audio follows...

Seen on nametags at Let Forum 2010—Places: Brooklyn, NY; Oak Park, IL; Essex, CT; Bloomington, IL; Boise, ID; Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Canada… Affiliations: Socialist Appeal, WBAI, Hive Radio, Brecht Forum, Dissent, Verso, Haymarket Books, Revolution, AK Press, The World Can’t Wait, The Mantle (of course!), Z Magazine.

Seen: Democracy Now cameras. A man in hospital gown and fake plastic butt handing out fliers for a rally for free health care. Pamphleteers galore. Jazz musician Abby Smith.

Heard: Danny Schechter telling me of an interview he conducted with Jon Lennon, with the microphone unplugged.

How much can a president accomplish in just a one-year term? Stay tuned to find out. Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann is on the downhill side of his 365 day term as president of the United Nations General Assembly, and he's got a lot on his plate.