When official enemies commit crimes, they must be punished. That is an unquestioned staple of public discourse. Occasionally, as in the torture and killing of prisoners in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan, a few bad apples tarnish the reputation of the United States but the doctrine of our basic goodness prevails. In an underreported revelation, recently released documents from the Nixon White House, unambiguously make clear that an order for genocide came directly from the Oval Office. Unhappy with the air force, Nixon tells Kissinger, "I want them to hit everything" in Cambodia. The faithful servant immediately conveyed the message to the Pentagon: "A massive bombing campaign in Cambodia. Anything that flies on anything that moves." Rarely in history has a direct order for mass murder been discovered and published. The reaction from the political elites, the punditocracy and the media? Undetectable. These interviews by David Barsamian were recorded at MIT. Part 1, 12 Feb 2004 Part 2, 11 June 2004

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."