Noam Chomski:  “Troika wants to destroy you” 

He has been characterized as “Einstein of linguistics”, ‘Darwin of our times”, and “top intellectual of the world”. He is one of the most important activists for the human rights. His fundamental work Chomsky Hierarchy written in 1956 has established him as one of the most important linguists of all times. Having all those in your mind, when finally get to meet with the 83 year old Noam Chomsky turns out to be even more imposing and impressive than his fame.

Noam goes every day at his office in Philosophy and Linguistic department in MIT. That is where we went at 3:00 pm, fifteen minutes earlier than our appointment. Bev Stohl, his assistance, opened the door of the entrance hall of his office. She arranges everything about him in detail.  “In five minutes you‘ll enter his office, get prepared and the professor will be with you on time”

The office is full of books. At the massive bookcase, everything is placed in shelves; underneath there is a tag with the category in which they fall.  A category, although it has a tag, it is completely empty of books: “Intelligence”.  In a central place there is a huge picture of Bertrand Russell and underneath written the phrase with which his autobiography begins and apparently represents Chomsky himself: “Three passions, simple but overwhelming, enforce my life: the desire for love, the seek of knowledge, and the unbearable sorrow for the sufferings of mankind”. We sat in a table in the center of his office, Chomsky sat right next to us.  Thankfully because, besides it is fascinating to have him by your side, it is well known that he speaks very softly. Among other things, he is infamous for his tremendous memory; he remembers just everything, which is something that he doesn’t deny. ‘Yes, I remember many things, but sometimes that’s a little bit torturous because others usually don’t.” He can very easily move from one subject to another like he pulls within his mind drawers with knowledge and information. He was listening every question bended, looking down and when we were finishing he was rising up his look and was delivering his answer retaining a direct eye contact till the end.

Nevertheless, Chomsky asked the first question: Really, what’s the matter in Greece? Things are getting really tough”

We are about to destroy global economy. That’s what we are told. Greece is less than one thousandth of the global economy. Is it going to destroy the whole planet? Isn’t it hilarious?

I believe it is happening exactly the opposite. European Union, European Central Bank, and IMF are dealing with destroying Greece and there is a plan for this. Certainly, to be honest, Greece itself has many domestic problems. However, what troika offers makes those problems worse and impossible to solve. They plan and offer policies which do not lead to financial development and problem solution; that’s why for as long as those measures will be moving on, they will bring less hope and more desperation to people. 

What the so called “financial market” will gain from the catastrophe of Greece?  

You know, what it is named “markets” is not something indefinable. It is the big banks in world level.  German, French, and indirectly American banks. So, Banking community wants to be compensated. And they will do it at any cost.

Do you think they will make it at the end?

They have been being paid for many years already. They have been always taking what they want, still are doing it. But the final result may be the disaster of Greece. Situation is not parallel, but there are two country examples, Argentina and Iceland which did not obey and now are getting well.  However those two countries had their own currencies, could say we don’t accept the rules of the world financial system, had the potential to move differently. Greece cannot do exactly that since it doesn’t have its own currency.

Do you believe that a return to drachma would be devastating for the Greeks?

Yes, although it is a possible scenario. That is IMF pushes like that, because they know that Greece must not return to drachma and therefore they know they can push. Notice the fascism of the financial system. It is like you have lent me some money, with excessive interest rates, I have been paying you off, and when I can’t pay more you are telling me: “Fine, your friends and neighbors will pay for you. “ This is IMF. If an investor, let’s say a bank, has invested at a risk in a country, always with excessive interest rates, and at some point this country can’t pay any more, IMF comes and say that others are going to pay for you. Those are always the tax payers of other countries who never took the particular loan. Everything can happen, as long as banks will not lose and finally, in order practically not to have any risk!

Excuse me, how do you call this system?

It is the financial system “pure thievery”.

That’s a very descriptive name for a financial system….

It is not even a secret. They themselves admit it! Some years ago, a high executive of IMF called it “community of credit and imposition”. Just like Mafia! Exactly like Mafia members have the money to lend you but also the way to take it back.

Consequently, I guess your proposal is disobedience and not repayment of the debt.

Attention. Disobedience often requires calmness and patience. And mainly you have to find your own way to do it.

Isn’t it the same system here in the United States?

Absolutely, since the Reagan  Administration till today, American citizens have been asked to pay bank capitals lost in investment risks that have taken by banks themselves in or out the States. That would not happen in a capitalistic system. But it happens in our own system simply because it is a criminal one. Noticeably, there is a term for this system (…). It is named “too big to fail”. That name actually describes the strategy of the American Government always to provide assurance. This strategy assures banks and financial institutions that when the system collapses and you won’t be able to get more money, we will give it from tax payers’ money. By the way, the system collapses often.

What is the role of credit rating agencies?

Credit rating agencies ideally complete the thievery system. Prior to any investment, they have assessed that if something goes wrong, local government will undertake the debt, i.e. tax-payers will pay. In other words, something which constitutes a scandal has been included to their estimations! That’s why, some people – very few indeed – are doing fine in the middle of this crisis. The role of credit rating agencies has been strengthening since 70s when the system skyrocketed and massive wealth was accumulated to very few people. Everybody knows that US is a country of inequalities, however maybe is not understandable that a great part of this inequality comes from the one thousandth of the population.

However, we citizens did not react at all; we accepted all these that determine our lives.

We haven’t accepted them! We had no other choice and no other alternative. Nobody asked us: “Do you like IMF?” Personally, I was not asked, were you? They just planned it and imposed it to us.

Is that the reason lets say Goldman Sachs which is a main responsible of the crisis still earns lots of profits?

Exactly. Although they are the major responsible and the architects of the crisis, they are doing fine with huge salaries and bonuses. This is happening because they just belong in the system I was referring. Goldman Sachs is now richer than ever before. But people do not focus in facts like this, because propaganda seeks and finds others to blame as responsible. During the crisis, one of the biggest mistakes is to target various social groups.   

But targets are set from both sides; from the state against others, but also from citizens themselves against others.  Isn’t that dangerous? Is it “good” sometimes to set targets?

Certainly not. Watch what happens. From state’s side we have some especially easy targets for instance teachers and education in general. On the other hand, from the population’s side we have the easy target which is the immigrants, and in Europe the phenomenon of immigration is expanding worryingly. In Hungary with the neo-fascist party Jobbik, in UK with British National Party and the English Defense League.  And if it sounds reassuring that in various European countries far-right, racist parties get below 10%, don’t forget that in 1928 in Germany, the Nazis’ party took less than 3%. Last year there was the publication of the book Germany Does Away with Itself in which its author Thilo Sarrazin states that immigrants are destroying the country. It sold million copies. Chancellor Merkel, although she condemned the book, stated that multiculturalism has finally failed. Turks and Arabs who were imported by them to do the dirty job have failed that is to become blond and blue-eyed, pure Aryans…

We have the paradox in times of prosperity and social stability people choose capitalism and remember of all bad things of socialism. But when the financial crisis comes then they blame capitalism and refer to socialism benefits. That’s a little bit stupid. How can be changed?

That’s the one and only message I have to deliver. It is not a recipe and everyone should make it on his own. Use common sense.

With what you are saying are trying to make world a better place?

I don’t want to make world a better place; I want people to make world a better place.

(...)

interviewer: Μάκης Προβατάς

published at BHMagazino, on 10/11/2011

The whole interview here http://www.koutipandoras.gr/?p=11109