Chomsky explains why nobody is a moral relativist • Hacker News Board

Re: Chomsky explains why nobody is a moral relativist

#461

Post by foobarqux » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 10:24 PM UTC

ch4s3 wrote: post #460

foobarqux wrote: post #458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He also routinely cites "the archives," and every single time I've checked the source he's referencing his grossly misstating things (if I'm feeling generous). Can you give an example? I've never found a gross misstatement when checking his citations.

As an example he claimed in 2022 that in 1970 Soviet Citizens could access the BBC, citing historical records of broadcasts in Russian. He neglected to mention that the Soviet government jammed the signal. This is just one example.

"However, jamming was never totally effective, and listening to the [BBC‘s] Russian Service as well as other Western broadcasters had, by the 1970s, become a ubiquitous phenomenon among the Soviet urban intelligentsia."

“a Harvard University study in the mid-1970s estimated that 28 million people in the Soviet Union tuned in [to US-funded VoA] at least once a week.’”

Far from a "gross misstatement".

https://fair.org/home/factchecking-the-factchecker-on-chomsk...

Re: Chomsky explains why nobody is a moral relativist

#462

Post by ch4s3 » Thu, Oct 12, 2023, 1:56 PM UTC

foobarqux wrote: post #461

ch4s3 wrote: post #460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an example he claimed in 2022 that in 1970 Soviet Citizens could access the BBC, citing historical records of broadcasts in Russian. He neglected to mention that the Soviet government jammed the signal. This is just one example.

"However, jamming was never totally effective, and listening to the [BBC‘s] Russian Service as well as other Western broadcasters had, by the 1970s, become a ubiquitous phenomenon among the Soviet urban intelligentsia." “a Harvard University study in the mid-1970s estimated that 28 million people in the Soviet Union tuned in [to US-funded VoA] at least once a week.’” Far from a "gross misstatement". https://fair.org/…

He was technically correct that some could, but it was obvious that he meant the USSR allowed it, which was a lie. This is a dumb argument.

Re: Chomsky explains why nobody is a moral relativist

#463

Post by foobarqux » Thu, Oct 12, 2023, 10:43 PM UTC

ch4s3 wrote: post #462

foobarqux wrote: post #461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"However, jamming was never totally effective, and listening to the [BBC‘s] Russian Service as well as other Western broadcasters had, by the 1970s, become a ubiquitous phenomenon among the Soviet urban intelligentsia." “a Harvard University study in the mid-1970s estimated that 28 million people in the Soviet Union tuned in [to US-funded VoA] at least once a week.’” Far from a "gross misstatement". https://fair.org/…

He was technically correct that some could, but it was obvious that he meant the USSR allowed it, which was a lie. This is a dumb argument.

The point he was making was that 1970s Soviet Russians had more access to information in practice than Americans today, which has nothing to do with whether or not Russia allowed it. I don't think "both countries tried to censor but only the US was successful at it" is the gotcha you think it is.

On another note I don't know exactly what you are trying to say in your top-level comment; Chomsky has said "when [Lenin] became the leader he didn't waste much time and Trotsky helped him in instituting a uh a pretty repressive regime which wasn't Stalinism but all the basic elements of Stalinism". Is that what you are referring to?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s

Re: Chomsky explains why nobody is a moral relativist

#464

Post by ch4s3 » Fri, Oct 13, 2023, 11:40 PM UTC

foobarqux wrote: post #463

ch4s3 wrote: post #462

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He was technically correct that some could, but it was obvious that he meant the USSR allowed it, which was a lie. This is a dumb argument.

The point he was making was that 1970s Soviet Russians had more access to information in practice than Americans today, which has nothing to do with whether or not Russia allowed it. I don't think "both countries tried to censor but only the US was successful at it" is the gotcha you think it is. On another note I don't know exactly what you are trying to say in your top-level comment; Chomsky has said "when [Lenin]…

He tried to make that incorrect point by lying, because Chomsky lies constantly. He only turned around on Lenin because the archives proved he was full of shit.