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Chomsky: Britain has failed US detainees

by LotusFlower | August 30, 2008 at 04:43 am | 167 views | 3 comments | 5 recommendations

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Noam Chomsky acuses the US of 'shameful acts' and Britain of failing detainees held in Guantanamo Bay. Some feel that intellectuals should keep from making public statements on political issues but others feel that it's the responsibility of philosophers, scientists and others to think, and speak and act and urge others to action too. Good public and open debate from all sides can only be good for democracy. The public contributes to the education of and employment via University grants etc and we should perhaps expect our accademics to make more contributions to public debate.

Britain has failed in its duty to stop the US from committing "shameful acts" in the treatment of suspects detained during the war on terror, one of America's most respected intellectuals warns today.

In an interview with The Independent, Professor Noam Chomsky calls on the Government to use its special relationship with Washington America to secure the closure of Guantanamo Bay.

Claiming that he has heard only "twitters of protest" in the UK , the emeritus professor of linguistics also asks British "thinkers" to be more conspicuous in their opposition to the erosion of civil rights since the 9.11 attacks on the US.

In the wake of the invasion of Iraq, Prof Chomsky, a leading opponent of the Vietnam conflict, has been the most prominent among US intellectuals critical of the war with the Iraq and the treatment of terror suspects sent to Guantanamo Bay and other prison camps around the world.

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mchawk

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:03 on August 30th, 2008

LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.

He's absolutely right. We might as well use the 'special relationship' with the US for good, rather than just cowering every time Bush shakes a fist.

'Special Rendition' barely gets a mention in the news - it's as if much of the press has decided to turn a blind-eye to these things.

Sputnic

at 05:19 on August 30th, 2008

Good stuff. Thinkers should definitly get involved in the important issues of the day. The worlds complacency on this issue is shameful.

Fairbanks

at 07:45 on August 30th, 2008

>Some feel that intellectuals should keep from making public statements on political issues but others feel that it's the responsibility of philosophers, scientists and others to think, and speak and act and urge others to action too.

If they want to blog, they can put their idle opinions out there along with everybody else, and if they don't it's because they are busy minding their own business. Somebody's opinion, even by the meritorious Chomsky, is barely an opinion when he lacks Executive Power.