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Brilliant work

Sir, __ Arundhati Roy's brilliant introduction to Noam Chomsky's "For reasons of State" has not appeared a day too early (Aug. 24). But Chomsky is by no means lonely — he should not be allowed to be! Nonconformist American documentaries like `Rush to Judgement,' and `The Year of the Pig' have demonstrated that the so-called "free-society" is just a handmaid of the CIA. Even popular Hollywood films like `Network,' `Dr. Strangelove,' and `China Syndrome' have depicted the deceptive cloak of "liberal traditions" which conceals Nazi-like plans of world control. Older novels like `The Ugly American' have fictionalised the real attempts to build the American empire. Media scholars from Erik Barnouw to Wilbur Schramm and Marshall McLuhan have warned about the impending dangers of "commercialisation of all creative processes under the hypocritical brand equity of freedom and democracy."

If the world survives this onslaught of the neo-colonial empire, soon enough, we will have Mickey Mouse as President of the first World Government, while Coke and Pepsi will be competitive presiding deities in every sanctum sanctorum of churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras. The true voices of freedom should unite to redeem humanity, which has been mortgaged to the devil, through the latter's agents in the World Bank, WTO, IMF, and the like.

S. Krishnaswamy,
Chennai

* * *

Sir, — Noam Chomsky's chronicling of the adventures of the U.S. Empire has been absorbingly commented upon by Ms. Roy. Unfortunately, there is only one Chomsky in the contemporary history, commenting on only one Empire. A close look at human history would tell us that the predominant powers of the day dictated terms to the geographical extent they could to wield power.

V. Gopinath,
Cuddalore, T.N.

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