In Part One, Chomsky discusses the real reasons for the U.S. invasion of Panama, the process of how and why Noriega went from being a "good guy" to a "bad guy" who had to be deposed, the media support and cooperation with the Bush Administration and, most riveting of all, the grotesque hypocrisy of the "war on drugs." He presents his views clearly and in a straightforward manner, illustrating his points with many examples. In Part Two, he discusses the driving need of American policymakers to find an enemy in order to propel the Pentagon. Since the demise of the Soviet threat, there has been a scramble to develop credible and truly scary alternatives. So we careen from Libyan hit squads to the Sandinistas to Medell’n drug lords to Noriega to Saddam. Nothing has quite the staying power of the "Evil Empire." This segment contains fascinating personal information about Chomsky's roots and early influences and provides insight into Chomsky, the man and his thought. February 1-2, 1990.

Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky, internationally renowned MIT professor, practically invented modern linguistics. In addition to his pioneering work in that field he has been a leading voice for peace and social justice. He is in huge demand as a public speaker all over the world. The New York Times calls him, "a global phenomenon, perhaps the most widely read voice on foreign policy on the planet." Author of scores of books, his latest are "The Essential Chomsky" and "What We Say Goes."