Noam Chomsky: Truth to power | Noam Chomsky interviewed by David McNeill

Noam Chomsky: Truth to power | Noam Chomsky interviewed by David McNeill

Q: Tell us about your connections to Japan.

A: I've been interested in Japan since the 1930s, when I read about
Japan's vicious crimes in Manchuria and China. In the early 1940s, as a
young teenager, I was utterly appalled by the racist and jingoist
hysteria of the anti-Japanese propaganda. The Germans were evil, but
treated with some respect: They were, after all, blond Aryan types, just
like our imaginary self-image. Japanese were mere vermin, to be crushed
like ants. Enough was reported about the firebombing of cities in Japan
to recognize that major war crimes were underway, worse in many ways
than the atom bombs.

Q: I heard a story once that you were so appalled by the bombing of
Hiroshima and the reaction of Americans that you had to go off and mourn
alone . . .

A: Yes. On Aug. 6, 1945, I was at a summer camp for children when the
atomic bombing of Hiroshima was announced over the public address
system. Everyone listened, and then at once went on to their next
activity: baseball, swimming, et cetera. Not a comment. I was
practically speechless with shock, both at the horrifying events and at
the null reaction. So what? More Japs incinerated. And since we have the
bomb and no one else does, great; we can rule the world and everyone
will be happy.

I followed the postwar settlement with considerable disgust as well. I
didn't know then what I do now, of course, but enough information was
available to undermine the patriotic fairy tale.

My first trip to Japan was with my wife and children 50 years ago. It
was linguistics, purely, though on my own I met with people from
Beheiren (Citizen's League for Peace in Vietnam). I've returned a number
of times since, always to study linguistics. I was quite struck by the
fact that Japan is the only country I visited -- and there were many --
where talks and interviews focused solely on linguistics and related
matters, even while the world was burning.

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