We Face Another Colossal Failure of Capitalism: Chomsky

The Spanish news agency EFE Tuesday published an interview with Noam Chomsky who holds that the pandemic shows the failure of neoliberalism, which within the United States is aggravated by President Donald Trump administration.

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“The first lesson is that we are facing another massive and colossal failure of the neoliberal version of capitalism. If we don't learn that, next time something similar happens will be worse,” Chomsky said.

"Governments cannot do anything. They are being the problem and not the solution... The U.S. is a catastrophe due to the game they bring in Washington. They know how to blame everyone except themselves, even though they are responsible,” he added.

Asked about his country's management of the pandemic, Chomsky noted that the Trump administration cut the health budget just shortly before the crisis began.

“The way that this has developed is surreal. In February, the pandemic was already wreaking havoc, everyone in the U.S. recognized it. Just in February, Trump presents budgets that are worth looking at... He made cuts amid a pandemic and increased funding for fossil energy industries, military spending, and the famous wall,” the U.S. philosopher recalled. 

Regarding the future, he believes that the shaping of new relations between human societies and natural ecosystems depends on what the next generations do.

"It depends on young people. It depends on how the world population reacts. This could lead us to highly authoritarian and repressive states that expand the neoliberal agenda even more than now. Remember: the capitalist class does not budge,” Chomsky said.

"Amid the pandemic, regulations restricting mercury and other pollutant emissions have been removed... It means killing more U.S. children and destroying the environment. They don't stop.”

He also highlighted that, while integration mechanisms such as the European Union fail to help its member countries timely, Cuba deploys its solidarity even with developed countries.

"The only country that has shown genuine internationalism has been Cuba, which has always been under the U.S. economic stranglehold and has survived somehow to continue showing the world what internationalism is about," Chomsky stressed.​​​​​​​