Chomsky: Gatekeeper?

Dear reader from twitter,

I listened to the first 24 minutes of the episode of The Corbett Report you sent to me. So far, I've seen nothing that would lead one to conclude that Chomsky is some kind of academic gatekeeper, in the sense that he's actively stifling or closing down the conversation.

All thinkers have limits. They cannot be all things to all readers. Chomsky is not interested in overhauling the Federal Reserve, monetary and fiscal policy etc. That perimeter is a sensible one to me. Citizen Chomsky has developed a compelling critique of our current mess, and if he doesn't go as far as I go in certain areas, that doesn't negate the areas upon which he does shine a powerful light. That's the work you must do, along with the folk at The Corbett Report etc.

What prompted you to share this video and ask my opinion of it, was a previous thread, namely, that Gore Vidal, Larry Flynt etc. rolled their eyes when you mentioned to them that you thought that 11 September 2001 was an inside job.

Most non-celebrity, non-1% people (I don't know if you're in this category) have almost no access to these elite opinion makers. Chomsky is in this category, although at one time about 10 years ago I shared a few email volleys with him and was impressed not only that he responded, but that he did so promptly to my brief questions for clarification of a point he made. I was, however, just asking him to clarify some of his own points, not asking him to consider some new point of my own.

If I were to meet an author, say, at a book signing in conjunction with a public lecture, I would be under no illusion of the terrible constraints any opinion maker must be working under. They're probably told, "Spend no more than 20 second with each person whose book you sign. Look beyond the person who tarries to the next person in the queue, and one of our personnel will move the obstreperous out of the way."

Here I would like to share a little aphorism from Jello Biafra, who famously said something like: Don't be mad at the media. Become the media.

If the Vidals, Flynts and Chomskys of the world snub you, you must double your resolve to work on your ideas and get them out there to a public. That's how you will make your ideas compelling to the vampires and gatekeepers who are the elite, celebrity opinion makers.

Don't be mad at the celebrity thinkers. Become a respected opinion maker in your own right. The tools to publish, market and share your ideas have never been cheaper.

Regards,

Ishmael