Ebook: Optimism over Despair: On Capitalism, Empire, and Social Change

This volume offers readers a concise and accessible introduction to the ideas of Noam Chomsky, described by the New York Times as arguably the most important intellectual alive."In these recent, wide-ranging interviews, conducted for Truthout by C. J. Polychroniou, Chomsky discusses his views on the war on terror" and the rise of neoliberalism, the refugee crisis and cracks in the European Union, prospects for a just peace in Israel/Palestine, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the dysfunctional US electoral system, the grave danger posed to humanity by the climate crisis, and the hopes, prospects, and challenges of building a movement for radical change.Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor (Emeritus) in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT. His work is widely credited with having revolutionized the field of modern linguistics. He is the author of numerous best-selling political works, which have been translated into scores of languages worldwide.C. J. Polychroniou is a regular contributor to Truthout as well as a member of Truthout's Public Intellectual Project. He has published several books and his articles have appeared in a variety of journals, magazines, newspapers, and popular news websites.;The breakdown of American society and a world in transition -- Horror beyond description: The latest phase of the "War on Terror" -- The empire of chaos -- Global struggles on dominance: ISIS, NATO, and Russia -- Is European integration unraveling? -- Burkini bans, new atheism, and the state worship: Religion in politics -- Constructing visions of "perpetual peace" -- It is all working quite well for the rich, powerful -- Can civilization survive "really existing capitalism"? -- America in the Trump era -- The Republican base is "out of control" -- 2016 election puts United States at risk of "Utter disaster" -- Trump in the White House -- Global warming and the future of humanity -- The long history of US meddling in foreign elections -- The legacy of the Obama administration -- Socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor -- The US health system is an international scandal--and ACA repeal will make it worse -- The perils of market-driven education -- Anarchism, communism, and revolutions -- Is the United States ready for socialism? -- Why I choose optimism over despair.