Noam Chomsky: Balancing the Budget DEBATED

Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, political commentator, social justice activist, and anarcho-syndicalist advocate. Sometimes described as the "father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy. He has spent most of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he is currently Professor Emeritus, and has authored over 100 books. He has been described as a prominent cultural figure, and was voted the "world's top public intellectual" in a 2005 poll.

Chomsky spoke at the University of Minnesota on April 15, 1997.

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Noam Chomsky’s correct that Republicans want to increase defense spending, which it’s interesting he didn’t argue against it as many leftists typically do because he credits the Pentagon for much of our modern innovation.

Swish! Republicans?

With that said, his evidence is EXTREMELY weak for such a bold endorsement of military-driven innovation because otherwise North Korea and the Soviet Union would be one of the most innovative countries on Earth. Defense spending can incentivize private investment to help achieve certain national goals (to the Mooooooon!), but overall there’s a lot of evidence that the military-industrial complex crowds out privately financed R&D and drains the private sector of much of its top researchers.

Chomsky’s main complaint, therefore, is that

Republicans only care about balancing the budget when it pertains to welfare spending on the poor.

He’s factually wrong though.

Republicans have continuously supported welfare spending on the poor. In the last 40 years, Republican politicians have consistently voted for federal budgets that increase welfare spending.

In addition, Republican presidents have signed into law such anti-poverty legislation as: XYZ

On the state level, Republican politicians have also supported welfare spending on the poor.

And on an individual level, many Republican voters are on food stamps, Medicaid, ..