{"id":91089,"date":"2017-05-17T23:10:22","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T23:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trueactivist.com\/?p=91089"},"modified":"2017-05-17T23:10:22","modified_gmt":"2017-05-17T23:10:22","slug":"chomsky-the-gop-not-the-islamic-state-is-the-most-dangerous-group-in-human-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trueactivist.com\/chomsky-the-gop-not-the-islamic-state-is-the-most-dangerous-group-in-human-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Chomsky: The GOP, Not the Islamic State, Is the Most Dangerous Group ‘In Human History’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chomsky\"<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Reiterating a previous incendiary assertion, Professor Noam Chomsky again characterized the U.S. Republican Party as the most dangerous organization <\/span>\u201cin human history\u201d<\/span><\/i> \u2014 its assault on climate science and apathy toward the environment being the most damaging party agendas the planet faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Chomsky <\/span>acknowledged<\/span><\/a> to <\/span>BBC Newsnight<\/span><\/i> host Chris Evans that could be considered an <\/span>\u201coutrageous statement,\u201d <\/span><\/i>the itinerant academic upped the ante. Asked whether the GOP could be characterized as worse than the Islamic State or fascistic North Korea, Chomsky provocatively queried,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIs ISIS dedicated to trying to destroy the prospects for organized human existence?\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Prodding further, Evans asked whether he would even <\/span>\u201centertain\u201d <\/span><\/i>that Republicans could be genuine in their beliefs; but Chomsky immediately <\/span>replied<\/span><\/a>,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn’t matter whether they genuinely [believe in climate change] or not,\u201d he continued, \u201cif the consequence of that is, \u2018Let’s use more fossil fuels, let’s refuse to subsidize developing countries, let’s eliminate regulations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.\u2019 If that’s the consequence, that’s extremely dangerous.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rather than simply halting progress years of legislation had advanced toward ending dependency on fossil fuels, the Republican-led United States <\/span>\u201cis not only\u2026 not doing anything about climate change, but we\u2019re trying to accelerate the race to the precipice,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he noted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnless you’re living under a rock,\u201d he added, \u201cyou have to recognize the seriousness of this threat.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Chomsky places the threat from the GOP denial of the generally accepted science of climate change on a level with nuclear weapons, though the entire Republican narrative \u2014 rather than any specific facet of its agenda \u2014 presents a greater danger in potential detriment to the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the main damage [Trump will] do is to the world, and it’s already happening,\u201d<\/strong><\/span> he explained. \u201cThe most significant aspect of the Trump election \u2014 and it’s not just Trump, it’s the whole Republican Party \u2014 is their departing from the rest of the world on climate change.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have this astonishing spectacle of the United States alone in the world not only refusing to participate in efforts to deal with climate change but dedicated to undermining them. It’s not just Trump, every single Republican leader is the same.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

Worse, the destruction of decades of environmentally protective policies filters down from the top \u2014 it doesn\u2019t only exist at the federal level. Chomsky continued,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes down to the local levels. Take a look at the primaries. In the Republican primaries, every single candidate either denied that climate change is happening. Or, when you get to the so-called moderates like Jeb Bush and [John] Kasich, they said, \u2018Well, maybe it’s happening but we shouldn’t do anything about it.\u2019 That’s 100 percent refusal.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite Chomsky\u2019s acknowledgment his analysis of the current GOP is inherently contentious, the scholar maintained myopathy from the American populace \u2014 perhaps due to religious beliefs \u2014 makes the backtracking currently happening not seem as hazardous as its reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because the Democratic Party <\/span>\u201cgave up on the working class 40 years ago,\u201d <\/span><\/i>the Republican appeal to the nation\u2019s workers \u2014 if not the U.S.\u2019 <\/span>\u201cdeeply rooted\u201d<\/span><\/i> racism \u2014 veritably ensured Donald Trump would secure the White House.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever the impetus for Trump achieving the position of President of the United States, however, Chomsky asserted the resultant detriment to society and the planet might not be correctable long term \u2014 and he implored the need to evaluate the snuffing out of protections from the perspective of those who will inherit the Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n