Chomsky nails it : COVID-19 Has Exposed the US Under Trump as a "Failed State"

[malaise]

https://truthout.org/articles/chomsky-covid-19-has-exposed-the-us-under-trump-as-a-failed-state/
<snip>
The label “failed state” has started to fit the U.S. like a glove as the COVID-19 national health crisis continues to reveal the structural flaws and weaknesses of the United States, argues world–renowned public intellectual Noam Chomsky in this exclusive interview for Truthout. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to exact a high price in human lives due to its caricaturish but highly dangerous response to the crisis. In the interview that follows, Chomsky also analyzes what’s behind Trump’s encouragement of the “anti-lockdown” protests, discusses the right-wing determination to destroy the U.S. Postal Service, and lays out his views on the electoral “lesser of two evils” principle.

C.J. Polychroniou: Noam, it is widely accepted by now that the U.S. coronavirus response not only was delayed, but remains mired in contradictions as Trump battles with scientists over policy. Moreover, the country as a whole was shown to be completely unprepared for a major health crisis. Are we talking here not simply of an incompetent administration but also of a failed state?

Noam Chomsky: Fifteen years ago, I wrote a book called Failed States, a common locution in the day, referring to states that are incapable of meeting the needs of citizens, in the most important case because of deep policy choices, and are a danger not only to their own citizens but the world. The prime example was the United States. Extensive evidence was reviewed. That’s not of course the intended use of the phrase in the doctrinal system, just as “rogue state” means some enemy, not ourselves, the prime example.

I still stand by that judgment, which was not mine alone. A few years later, a Gallup/WIN international poll found that the U.S. is regarded as the greatest threat to world peace, no one else even close. And the severe threats of government policy to the domestic population, already quite apparent when the book appeared, became much clearer a year later when the housing bubble burst and the financial crisis ensued — along with Obama’s response: bail out the perpetrators, who became richer and more powerful than before, and forget about the congressional legislation that called for some help to the many who had lost their homes in corporate scams facilitated by the Clinton-Rubin-Summers deregulation extravaganza, extending the neoliberal assault on the population that took off under Reagan.

[mopinko]

1. many things tptb have managed to occlude are becoming clear.

many, many things, but they boil down to just this.

[Marrah_Goodman]

2. Love Chomsky! n/t

[Grins]

3. But most of all...

Failed state, failed presidential, but most of all a failed political party with a failed governing “philosophy”.

[malaise]

4. Was interesting to see Sachs on Chris Hayes last night

Although in fairness to him he abandoned neo-liberalism a while back.

[Hortensis]

5. To Chomsky we've always been a failed state.

Imo, he should have stuck to linguistics, but there's actually a huge market for his kind of pseudo-intellectual bashing. A political psychologist nailed his type: ... and left wing extremists hate themselves.

[HarlanPepper]

6. +1

He is king of the dead enders.

[Progressive dog]

8. To Chomsky, the USA was a failed state and the USSR wasn't.

nt

[Mosby]

9. +1

[DTomlinson]

12. No.

[murielm99]

7. Again, with truthout.

That poster was banned here. Why put any of his articles on this site?

[malaise]

10. Chomsky is a recognized academic n/t

[murielm99]

11. I am objecting to the truthout part of it.

We don't need to post anything by a banned poster who called President Obama a POSUCS.