Chomsky: This Is How Nuclear War Starts
Photo Credit: Kelly Maeshiro/Creative Commons
November 7, 2014 |
World renowned linguist and political theorist Noam Chomsky said in an interview with the Russian-based RT that the current state of American-Russian relations could lead to a nuclear confrontation.
“It’s come ominously close several times in the past, dramatically close,” he said. “It could happen again, but not planned, but just by the accidental interactions that take place — that has almost happened.”
“It’s worth remembering that just one century ago, the First World War broke out through a series of such accidental interchanges. The First World War was horrifying enough, but the current reenactment of it means the end of the human race.”
“There have been many cases,” Chomsky continued, “not that serious, but pretty close, where human intervention with a few-minutes choice has prevented a nuclear war. You can’t guarantee that’s going to continue. It may not be a high probability each time, but when you play a game like that, with low probability risks of disaster over and over again, you’re going to lose.”
“And now, especially in the crisis over Ukraine, and so-called missile-defense systems near the borders of Russia, it’s a threatening situation.”
He was then asked about Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s remarks on the Ukraine, in which he said that the United States needs to deal with “Russia’s army [being] on NATO’s doorstep.”
“The official justification for NATO,” Chomsky replied, “was that its purpose was to defend Western Europe from Russian hordes who might attack Western Europe. Can’t ask how plausible that explanation was, but that at least that was the official explanation. Well, 1990-1991 — no Russian hordes. Natural conclusion: ‘Let’s disband NATO.’”
“But,” he continued, “the opposite happened — NATO expanded. Its mission changed. The official mission of NATO became to control the international, the global energy system, pipelines.”
As for the future of US-Russian relations, Chomsky said that America will continue “what it’s doing — driving Russia towards the East, towards closer relations with China.”
“There’s plenty of hostility way back between China and Russia, but there are also some common interests, and the sanctions and other pressure against Russia are almost compelling Russia to move towards closer relations with China. China is the center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a very substantial international system based on China, which includes India, includes Russia, includes Pakistan, includes the Central Asian States — Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and others — it’s a big international system.”
“Current Western policies,” he added, “are driving Russia towards closer interaction with this Chinese-based system.”
Watch Noam Chomsky’s entire interview with RT below via YouTube.
Photo Credit: Kelly Maeshiro/Creative Commons
November 7, 2014 |
World renowned linguist and political theorist Noam Chomsky said in an interview with the Russian-based RT that the current state of American-Russian relations could lead to a nuclear confrontation.
“It’s come ominously close several times in the past, dramatically close,” he said. “It could happen again, but not planned, but just by the accidental interactions that take place — that has almost happened.”
“It’s worth remembering that just one century ago, the First World War broke out through a series of such accidental interchanges. The First World War was horrifying enough, but the current reenactment of it means the end of the human race.”
“There have been many cases,” Chomsky continued, “not that serious, but pretty close, where human intervention with a few-minutes choice has prevented a nuclear war. You can’t guarantee that’s going to continue. It may not be a high probability each time, but when you play a game like that, with low probability risks of disaster over and over again, you’re going to lose.”
“And now, especially in the crisis over Ukraine, and so-called missile-defense systems near the borders of Russia, it’s a threatening situation.”
He was then asked about Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s remarks on the Ukraine, in which he said that the United States needs to deal with “Russia’s army [being] on NATO’s doorstep.”
“The official justification for NATO,” Chomsky replied, “was that its purpose was to defend Western Europe from Russian hordes who might attack Western Europe. Can’t ask how plausible that explanation was, but that at least that was the official explanation. Well, 1990-1991 — no Russian hordes. Natural conclusion: ‘Let’s disband NATO.’”
“But,” he continued, “the opposite happened — NATO expanded. Its mission changed. The official mission of NATO became to control the international, the global energy system, pipelines.”
As for the future of US-Russian relations, Chomsky said that America will continue “what it’s doing — driving Russia towards the East, towards closer relations with China.”
“There’s plenty of hostility way back between China and Russia, but there are also some common interests, and the sanctions and other pressure against Russia are almost compelling Russia to move towards closer relations with China. China is the center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a very substantial international system based on China, which includes India, includes Russia, includes Pakistan, includes the Central Asian States — Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and others — it’s a big international system.”
“Current Western policies,” he added, “are driving Russia towards closer interaction with this Chinese-based system.”
Watch Noam Chomsky’s entire interview with RT below via YouTube.
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