On the sofa with Noam Chomsky!

It’s not every day that I spend the evening in the company of, arguably, the world’s premier public intellectual, but it was a treat to do so today.

I first became of aware of Chomsky in the mid-‘80s when I was studying linguistics, and his books were required reading. It was a little later that I discovered he was not only a distinguished linguist but also a philosopher, cognitive scientist, cultural commentator and political thinker of considerable renown. 

Now aged 91, he can justifiably be described as one of the greatest thinkers of the past 100 years.

This evening he gave the keynote speech at Liverpool’s annual Writing On The Wall festival - this year, of course, taking place online rather than at venues across the city. I feel privileged to have had a ticket! 

His talk touched on global warming, the Covid-19 pandemic and responses to it around the world, the threat of nuclear war, the impact of neo-liberalism, and the choice between internationalism or extinction. He followed this up with responses to questions submitted by audience members watching from their homes - covering topics including libertarianism, the meaning of ‘freedom’, the role of unions and collective action, and the role of tech giants and Big Pharma. 

Huge thanks to Noam and to all involved! 


Today’s song is, naturally, ‘Noam Chomsky is a Soft Revolution’ by the splendidly moustachioed Foy Vance www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqZdBfvm9Bw