DiasporaInterviews
Noam Chomsky Discusses Azeri Aggression on Artsakh
Noam Chomsky, by any measure, has led a most extraordinary life. In one index he is ranked as the eighth most cited person in history, right up there with Aristotle, Shakespeare, Marx, Plato and Freud. The legendary MIT professor practically invented modern linguistics. In addition to his pioneering work in that field, he has been a leadin
Or, subscribe now for unlimited access
By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Already a subscriber?Log in here
This story is FREE for you...
Create a free account to access this and four more articles, and get more sent to you with our e-newsletter.By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Turkish American here who believes that it is no longer the era of war & conquer. If Germany & France can get along, if US and UK are buddies, why can Turks & Armenians not live in peace? I’d love to read a follow up to this conversation where possible solutions are discussed. Why not pull Turkish/Azeri and Armenian scholars together and work on possible solutions to this conflict as well as the existing hostilities.
Peace on Earth may there be peace in your life all the time. It is impossible for Armenian and Turks to sit together when the most fundamental of issues hasn’t been resolved. Turkey still denies the Genocide. They even imprison their own citizens who question the history. Every other country and nation you mentioned who can coexist together is because the agressor for no better word has not denied their part in the history. There can never be talks of any kind for as long as Turkey will deny the genocide of the Armenian people living under their rule in the WWI.
Why not….? But,this must be the wish of the leaders !!! But, I guess that these leaders are businessmen…..And then, as we all know,businessmen, all they want,is profit…..I hope to be wrong !
No scholars will represent their people. Period!
The Turkish, Azeri and Armenian people can live together in piece if there is true democracy in both Turkey and Azerbaijan. It has happened before. During the soviet era my dad has even told me stories that he had Turkish friends during the time he was serving in the Army. I myself have visited Tukey and have seen so many similarities in our cultures. The civilized ones are very humane. But at this point the government has filled them with so much hate i think its almost unlikely to undo all that. As long as there r leaders like Aliev and Erdogan i dont expect much. We armenians are peace loving people.
Where is everyone? Gone to Russia to work doing what,I wonder? All these wonderful metanational organizations like the IMF,United Nations, etc. sitting on their thumbs with nothing to do or say. This planet will rot not from climate irregularity, but from lack of caring.
Sir/Noame Chomsky live long in the good health and safety.
I’m so proud that I live in your era!
You’re really from a mother planet.
Great coverage. Thank you for bringing it to us. It is clear who Armenia’s friends (very few) and enemies (many) are. The World does not take action until it is too late. They are worried that this would escalate into a major international conflict, so they would not hesitate to make Armenia the sacrificial lamb to appease the bloodthirsty Turks> Israel, of course, would rejoice, instead of realizing that they can be next. Turkey knows no loyalty. Wouldn’t be funny if Turkey started attacking Israel with the very same weapons bought from it? The Ottoman Empire, includes Palestine, you know.
Israeli military is a lot more powerful than Azerbaijan and Armenia. If Turkey thinks they can just come and conquer Israel then they are in for a surprise. It will be a brutal war. Israel won’t hesitate to use its nukes on Ankara if cornered.
Well said. You know your history. Or you know the panturanism mentality.
Many have complained about those imperialists’ borders. After independence, why didn’t the new nations peacefully meet & redraw their borders to ones that were fair?
That’s a great question. The story of Arstakh is actually the story you seek. Armenians who were subjected to such redrawing of boundaries proclaimed independence and self-rule to question the conditions placed upon them by Stalin. As for the Middle East, I would direct you to the short-lived United Arab Republic experiment. There is a long discourse in the Arab World (Sati al-Husri, Michel Aflaq, Nasser, George Habash) about redrawing the boundaries of the region almost as soon as they were created, unfortunately imperial rule in the form of mandates, the Cold War, and the self-interest of the newly-created states made those projects doomed from the start.
Thanks for clarifying the historical background around this conflict. Such clarification helps to see the real issues through the confusing media reports and support the peaceful resolution of this conflict.
NC is a well-respected scholar, but he is definitely lacking a clear-cut understanding of the history of and state of affairs in Nagorno-Karabakh because Eurasia is not his regional area of studies.
The imperial borders were being drawn in the Soviet Union differently that the Brits were doing in the Middle East or elsewhere.
If you want some objective view on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, go read Black Garden by T. de Waal.
de Waal? You must be kidding. Funny, your name doesn’t sound azeri
Dear devoted scholar-activists David Barsamian and Noam Chomsky, please air this excellent interview on Alternative Radio for your many devoted listeners. We appreciate your sharing this with the Armenian public, but it is really the non-Armenian public that needs to hear it and act on it.
I say this respectfully:
I read the interview with Chomsky.
Please, Chomsky had little important to say and hardly knows anything about the geopolitics of the present conflict.
What is Russia up to? Why has Putin allowed jihadists in Russia’s backyard? What are Trump and Biden saying or not saying, doing or not doing?
Lots of issues there that were not broached and which Chomsky could not answer even if they were broached.
Why did David Barsamian have on a non-Armenian, Chomksy, as well-known as he may be, who does not really know the subject matter, rather than a knowledgeable Armenian American who could really explain the issues and what is going on behind the scenes – of which there are many?
Am I permitted to say this?
It would be truly delightful and most appreciated if our good friends Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian were to reach out to all righteous Jewish journalists, authors, and other public figures to write an open letter to the Israeli government condemning their training of and arming the Azeri military.
Send it to President Trump too, and Secretary of State, and Jewish American organizations.
Something like this:
We regret to say that today, the grandchildren of Armenian Genocide perpetrators are committing a genocide on the grandchildren of Armenian Genocide survivors using weapons provided by the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.
Here are links to Jewish scholars Israel Charny’s and Yair Auron’s articles in 2014 and 2016.
Two great older articles by Charney and Auron:
Would Israel Sell a Used Drone to a Hitler?
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/would-israel-sell-a-used-drone-to-a-hitler/
Israel Must Not Sell Arms to the Azeris
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-dont-sell-arms-to-the-azeris-1.5319906
They spoke up. Why not Noam and David?
Great idea, Ani. Noam, there is a current open letter in force, signed by righteous Jewish scholars just a few days ago. It’s pasted below. Instead of doing what appears to me as damage control by tossing a few crumbs to the Armenians via this interview, we would prefer if you signed this open letter! Walk the talk!
http://www.ihgjlm.com/2020/10/05/an-open-letter-regarding-the-fighting-in-nagorno-karabakh-artsakh/
Should you need it, Yair Auron’s e-mail contact info is right on the web, but you probably know him quite well. He will be happy to add your name.
Excellent interview!Thank you!
Professor Chomsky, the only reason why I checked this article was to get your perspective on the history of this region and conflict, given your comprehensive knowledge of history & politics which I value highly. Sadly, you brushed this off with “there’s a long history. Can’t go through it”. Please go through it next time!
Regarding the recent flared-up war, Professor Chomsky doesn’t add anything new, instead repeats what is been told all over the international media which is unarguably pro-Armenian due to years of building strong relationships and lobbying.