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I think you focus too much on the messenger and not enough on the message, which is ironic that you complain about cult of personality. Manufactured Consent would be just as valuable even if Epstein write it himself.
Have you read any works by either Zizek or Chomsky? I don't ask this in a "gotcha" attempt. I'm genuinely curious if you have, and if yes what specifically do you take issue with? I'm a fan of both although Chomsky hates Zizek. I think Chomsky has done a massive public service cataloging and broadcasting US War crimes, while Zizek is a bit more theoretical
Should the left say the same about Stalin?
Serious question. I want to know if you apply this logic consistently or if you see an issue with it now.
Of course I have this is a strange question to be asking unless you think I'm a teenager new to the left or something, these people are very entry-level cringe-leftism 102 stuff, they were good gateways into various things for their time but nothing more radical because to be so would be to lose the platform and "prestige" they both covet provided to them by capitalists. Neither of them have made significant contributions to the left that were not made first by other people, Chomsky's most known work Manufacturing Consent is just a rehash of Parenti's work Inventing Reality, while Zizek on the other hand is focused on philosophy of ideology and media literacy rather than action.
You have these backwards. Zizek is not theoretical, Zizek is philosophical. Theory can be applied as action, that is not what Zizek does.
Would you mind posting some good authors or thinkers to move forward from Chomsky please? I'm only familiar with him and would like to broaden my knowledge. I see you mentioned Parenti so I'll look them up.
Can do. Some suggestions:
Blackshirts and Reds is your starting point with Parenti.
You should look into Vincent Bevins. His Jakarta Method is a serious wakeup call about the use of mass murder against the left around the world and what last resort capitalism is willing to go to.
Vijay Prashad should also be on your list. He wrote Washington Bullets and continues to be extremely valuable and influential in the left today. He's also a really fucking good speaker, like Parenti.
Oh and anyone who considers themselves to still be a socdem (rather than an anticapitalist of some sort) should read Imperialism in the 21st Century by John Smith.
Chomsky & Herman didn't "rehash" Inventing Reality. Parenti didn't provide a model by which the propaganda system operates. Concentration of media ownership, advertising revenue, and reliance on government sources are methods by which Chomsky'a model operates whereas Parenti focuses on the ideological underpinnings - essentially trying to debunk the myth of liberal bias in media.
These are similar topics but they are not rehashes. I think Chomsky's has more value personally and there's a reason it has had a much broader impact on the left and society as a whole.
I also personally prefer Chomsky's matter of fact style.
Having said all that, like I said - my question wasn't an attempt at a gotcha. You just never know who you're talking to - I don't trust people just because they say things confidently. You do seem well read so I respect your opinion.
As for Zizek being philosophy- that's a given. His works are theoretical though, and I don't really want to argue the semantics. Zizek has a lot to say and I think he's right that we need to be reinventing leftist ideology for the 21st century.