Who Rules the World: Noam Chomsky
Summary and takeaways from the book.
Keywords:
Deep State
Informed
Capitalism
Wealth Transfer
Nov 27, 2022
Who rules the world?
Large corporations, rich investors, and oligarchs of USA rule the world.
They rule the world by financing(and thereby controlling) the Deep State.
They rule the world by funding campaigns of American politicians, promoting narcissistic and toxic bureaucrats, influencing global public discourse via their think tanks, and manipulating minds of their people via corporate control of media.
Who rules the world?
Large corporations, rich investors, and oligarchs of USA rule the world.
They rule the world by financing(and thereby controlling) the Deep State.
They rule the world by:
Funding campaigns of American politicians
Promoting narcissistic and toxic bureaucrats
Influencing global public discourse via think tanks and for-hire "apparatchiks and commissars, the technocratic and policy-oriented" intellectuals
Manipulating minds of their people via corporate control of media, movies, celebrity culture, social media, and media influencers
Other countries, leaders, and entities are allowed to exist only as long as they do not stand in the way of USA's interests.
USA is also in a decline as a multi-polar world emerges. This manifests as rising geo-political tensions all over the world e.g. around Taiwan and south China Sea, in Eastern Europe, permanent crisis in Middle East, military coups in Latin America etc.
This is the overall message in Noam Chomsky's influential and popular book '
Who Rules the World'.
Among states, since the end of World War II the United States has been by far the first among unequals, and remains so. It still largely sets the terms for global discourse, ranging from such concerns as Israel-Palestine, Iran, Latin America, the "war on terror", international economic organization, rights and justice, and others like them to the ultimate issues of survival of civilization (nuclear war and environmental destruction).
Its power, however, has been diminishing since it reached a historically unprecedented peak in 1945.
- Introduction to the book.
In the United States, prominent researchers have produced compelling evidence that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.
- Introduction to the book.
Importance of this book
This book is important to "
explore the question of who rules the world, how they proceed in their efforts, and where these lead".
It is for all us. It will help us be "
alive and fit to live."
For the first time in history, we face the possibility of destroying the prospects for decent existence—and not in the distant future.
For this reason alone, it is imperative to sweep away the ideological clouds and face honestly and realistically the question of how policy decisions are made, and what we can do to alter them before it is too late.
- Chapter 13: Whose Security? How Washington Protects Itself and the Corporate Sector. Page 152-154.
There is not much time.
- Introduction to the book.
USA as global superpower, and its slow decline
USA has ruled over most of the world since the end of Second World War. It had the largest economy and military at end of Second World War.
It ruled over and dictated terms to post-war Western Europe, former colonies of British empire(e.g India, Africa), China, and Latin America.
Soviet Union ruled over and dictated terms to Warsaw Pact East European countries.
This power of USA over other countries is in decline.
While the United States remains the most powerful state in the world, nevertheless, global power is continuing to diversify, and the United States is increasingly unable to impose its will. But decline has many dimensions and complexities.
- Chapter 5: American Decline: Causes and Consequences. Page 66.
American decline is real, though the apocalyptic version of it reflects the familiar ruling-class perception that anything short of total control amounts to total disaster.
Despite the piteous laments, the United States remains the world’s dominant power by a large margin, with no competitor in sight, and not only in the military dimension, in which, of course, the United States reigns supreme.
China and India have recorded rapid (though highly inegalitarian) growth, but remain very poor countries, with enormous internal problems not faced by the West.
- Chapter 6: Is America Over? Page 70.
Irrelevance of Democracy and public opinion
Democracy and public opinion is ireelevant.
Governments, elected leaders, and politicians all over the world are allowed to exist only as long as they do not stand in the way of USA's interests. Deep State in USA dictates to nations, who in turn dictate to lower level politicians and local governments.
Even in the more democratic states, the populations have only limited impact on policy decisions.
- Introduction to the book.
The disparity between public opinion and policy, in this case, has significant implications for the fate of the world.
- Chapter 22: The Doomsday Clock. Page 220.
What influences policies in USA
Democracy and public opinion is ireelevant.
...ample evidence that securing state power from the domestic population and securing concentrated private power are driving forces in policy formation.
- Chapter 13: Whose Security? How Washington Protects Itself and the Corporate Sector. Page 152.
Illusion of Security
Deep State protects Security of private power and corporate wealth at all costs. Security of the public and their assets is irrelevant.
What about the security of the population? It is easy to demonstrate that this is of marginal concern to policy planners. Take two prominent current examples, global warming and nuclear weapons.
There are many problems that must be addressed, but two are overwhelming in their significance: environmental destruction and nuclear war. For the first time in history, we face the possibility of destroying the prospects for decent existence—and not in the distant future.
For this reason alone, it is imperative to sweep away the ideological clouds and face honestly and realistically the question of how policy decisions are made, and what we can do to alter them before it is too late.
- Chapter 13: Whose Security? How Washington Protects Itself and the Corporate Sector. Page 152-154.
America as a rogue global superpower
USA is seen as a rogue superpower internally and across the world. The actions of its out of control Deep State are now a threat to life on Earth.
...more sober voices among the policy elite at home saw that, for much of the world, the United States was “becoming the rogue superpower,” “the single greatest external threat to their societies,” and that “the prime rogue state today is the United States,” to quote Samuel P. Huntington, Harvard professor of the science of government, and Robert Jervis, president of the American Political Science Association
- Chapter 5: American Decline: Causes and Consequences. Page 60.
Some of the most prominent threats to humanity are Climate Crisis, Nuclear War, and Bio-Diversity loss. The actions of Deep State in USA makes them much worse, threatening the very fabric of life on Earth.
It is well documented how out-of-control bureaucrats, military, and Deep State take us to the brink of global destruction with their over-zealous actions and incompetence.
We now know that the world was saved from likely nuclear destruction in those frightening days by the decision of a Russian officer, Stanislav Petrov, not to transmit to higher authorities the report of automated detection systems that the USSR was under missile attack.
Accordingly, Petrov takes his place alongside Russian submarine commander Vasili Arkhipov, who, at a dangerous moment of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, refused to authorize the launching of nuclear torpedoes when the subs were under attack by U.S. destroyers enforcing a quarantine.
- Chapter 22: The Doomsday Clock. Page 221.
...it is a near miracle that we have escaped destruction so far, and the longer we tempt fate, the less likely it is that we can hope for divine intervention to perpetuate the miracle.
- Chapter 15: How Many Minutes to Midnight? Page 179.
The Intellectuals
Noam Chomsky separates intellectuals into two groups.
Value-oriented intellectuals: the "
ridiculous eccentrics", who pose "
a challenge to democratic government which is, potentially at least, as serious as those posed in the past by aristocratic cliques, fascist movements, and communist parties". They "devote themselves to the derogation of leadership, the challenging of authority," and even confront the institutions responsible for "the indoctrination of the young". They "treat our generals as idiots, our social institutions as absurd and our traditions as unhealthy".
Masters of mankind: The intellectuals who have been promoted by Deep State to be "
principal architects" of government policy. They pursue their "
vile maxim: All for ourselves and nothing for other people". These intellectuals always support "
the national interest", and "
leadership and established institutions". They are the "
apparatchiks and commissars, the technocratic and policy-oriented" intellectuals. They are "
law and order" types who perpetuate any injustice to maintain the status-quo.
Why this system persists?
All of this, and much more, can proceed as long as the Muasher doctrine prevails.
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, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome
- Chapter 4: The Invisible Hand of Power. Page 57.
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