[Peace-discuss] Chomsky on the great danger of Trump

[J.B. Nicholson]

David Green wrote:
> Mort, I have no problem with Chomsky's appropriate alarmism. I do have a
> problem with his implying that Biden will in any serious way challenge the
> institutional forces that are leading us to the abyss.

I concur with what David said. I'll add a few notes, none of which are in objection 
to what David said.

Today's establishment-friendly review of Biden reminds me of the light-touch 
criticism Hillary Clinton received 4 years ago (and from some of the same people). 
There's no clear and detailed coverage of his political record in establishment media 
which includes DN. And like Hillary Clinton's political history, doesn't bear close 
scrutiny for her supporters. Problems with Biden are waved away as if one of the two 
major party candidates simply must be deemed better than the other.

I think that these DN Chomsky interviews are very much about stumping for the 
Democrats ahead of election time. I think climate change and nuclear war are very 
important. But I don't think that these issues will be the way voters pick whether to 
vote or whom to vote for. As I understand it, voters are far more likely to make an 
election decision based on their immediate financial situation. So I won't be 
surprised if we see a repeat of what happened in 2016 -- the largest bloc of 
registered voters didn't vote for US President, likely out of disgust with both major 
party candidates.

I find it telling and sad that Medicare for All and Universal Basic Income don't come 
up at all in the 6 parts of that Chomsky interview posted so far. These two policies 
strike me as practical, majoritarian-support approaches to help the poor avoid the 
immiseration they're facing or will likely face soon. But anyone endorsing Biden 
can't bring up these policy choices without highlighting how awful the Democrats are 
for basically refusing Medicare for All 3 times in recent history (when Democrats had 
both houses of Congress & the presidency under Obama with HR676, and now with 2 bills 
Congress apparently refuses to bring to the floor now).