Chomsky and Lerner: There's Hope in the Fight Against Global Capital

Noam Chomsky: There is no doubt that concentrated private capital, closely linked to the state has substantial resources, but we must not overlook the fact that quite a bit has been achieved through public struggle in the US over the years. In many respects, this remains a free country. Many rights have been won, even in the past, and that provides a legacy from which we can move on. Struggling for freedom and justice has never been easy, but it has achieved progress. At the moment we can't realistically talk about challenging global capital, because the movements that might undertake such a task are too scattered and atomized, and focused on particular issues, but we can try to confront directly what global capital is doing right now, and on the basis of that, move on to further achievements. For the majority of the population, incomes have stagnated, working hours have increased, benefits have declined, and people are angry, hostile, and very upset. Many people distrust all institutions, and it's a period which could move in a very dangerous direction. One may have a long-term goal to confront global capital, but there have to be small steps along the way before you could even think of undertaking that challenge!