A New Cold War?Salon's Dan Falcone and Saul Isaacson interview Noam Chomsky on the Middle East, Russia, and America's whitewash of its own war crimes

An interview of Noam Chomsky by Dan Falcone and Saul Isaacson at Salon is a bit unfocused as to topic, but each section is vintage Chomsky: full of information about America's mismanagement of relations with Israel, proxy wars old and new with the old Soviet Union and Russia, education of Muslim girls in madrassas, "how [America can] perform better in stabilizing the Middle East," etc. It's a quick read, and international relations neophytes like me are well‑rewarded for the short time it takes.

‘National Security’ And National/International Abuse Of Government Power: Chomsky

His ideological personal history aside, Noam Chomsky has, in the past two decades, struck me as one of the clearest thinkers of our age on issues involving both international relations and relations between individuals and government. His latest article for The Nation is no exception. Wait until late at night when you have fewer distractions, brew yourself some really strong tea and read Chomsky's response to the question, Should We Stop Talking About National Security? / Our government has always justified its worst abuses of power—here and abroad—on the basis of “national security.” His themes will not surprise you if you've read any of his other articles, but you may appreciate his synthesis in one place of policy issues seldom mentioned together in the American press and media.