Secrets, lies and democracy - Noam Chomsky

Another illusion-shattering piece from the man "The New York Times" called "arguably the most important intellectual alive". In 1970, about 90 per cent of international capital was used for trade and long-term investment - more or less productive things - and 10 per cent for speculation. By 1990, these figures had reversed. Haiti, a starving island, is exporting food to the US - about 35 times as much under Clinton as under Bush. The US government spent more money per capita to get the presidential candidate it favoured in Chile in 1964 than was spent by both candidates (John and Goldwater) in the 1964 election in the US. The gap between how much income is held by the richest and the poorest 20 per cent has increased dramatically over the past 30 years - about double for rich versus poor countries and far more for rich versus poor people. What the public wants is called "politically unrealistic". Translated into English, that means power and privilege are opposed to it.