Noam Chomsky: It is always well to keep in mind Adam Smith’s astute observation about policy formation in England. He recognized that the “principal architects” of policy—in his day the “merchants and manufacturers”—made sure that their own interests had “been most peculiarly attended to” however “grievous” the effect on others …

Honestly, am I just a Radical, to suppose things needn’t be this way? That glossy and fetching appearance, don’t you know, lies and corruptionalways pretty themselves up. Counting on people not noticing. Which of course works. Read the rest of this entry »

And no, I don’t mean Teh Ceiling Cat. Sober up. (Slaps readers upside head.) Concentrate! Noam Speaks:

Power resides in the hands of those that Madison called “the wealth of the nation.” The primary responsibility of government is “to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority,” Madison declared. That has been the guiding principle of the democratic system from its origins until today.

Read it again. Prescient old fart, however inadvertently: (Madison, not The Noam!) the Opulent Minority is going to need protection one day. Man them barricades, you lazy-ass—Oh. Well, whenever and wherever the barricades go up, see you there.

To watch the whole (short) lecture, go here. | digg story