Prof. Noam Chomsky, a famous philosopher, linguist, and cognitive scientist, has stated that for Pakistan to begin a new journey on the correct track, the country must first break free of the remnants of its colonial past.
In the “PIDE discussion,” Chomsky and Dr. Abdul Jalil, a professor of economics at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad, discussed a variety of topics.
Chomsky was asked about the causes of Pakistan’s current economic crisis and where the country should begin to make amends for its current situation. He began by citing several factors, including those that are unique to Pakistan but which inhibit growth, pluralism, openness within society, and development.
Over the years, Pakistan has been coerced into a form of religious orthodoxy that stunts the country’s development of culture and reason. At the same time, it is at odds with India on a regular basis. That is why these are the most significant challenges Pakistan faces in its quest for progress. However, these problems are not exclusive to Pakistan. Religious fanaticism has been on the rise in the United States in recent years, which is quite unusual for a western democracy. When asked how this phenomena affects the United States’ cultural and intellectual development, he answered, “It’s steadily compressing the space for it.”
Chomsky remarked that Pakistan’s location between China and the United States/Western world puts it in a difficult situation. It still has some freedom of movement.
Pakistan and India cannot avoid progressing toward a place of mutual accommodation and cooperative effort. This may sound utopian at the moment, but it is possible. That sort of thing actually did occur in the past. Consider the situation in France and Germany as an example. Both sides have been slaughtering one another for millennia. He added that the two are now working together.
According to Chomsky, the concepts of intellectual honesty and accountability are inherently vague. To begin, we need to be aware of our inherent moral obligations as human beings. Second, what role do we anticipate them playing within the current electrical infrastructures? The name Henry Kissinger comes to mind. He made it quite evident that the job of a political intellectual is to make the thoughts of the strong understandable and usable to the general public. To be a stenographer for power, he explained in plain English.
Conversely, there is a duty to tell the truth, support specific principles, and so on. Most of the smart people throughout time have been on the winning side. As opposed to being outsider critics, they were inside the halls of power. Prof. Chomsky stated, “Those who questioned have suffered and were pushed to the sidelines.”
Mahnur is MS(development Studies)Student at NUST University, completed BS Hons in Eng Literature. Content Writer, Policy analyst, Climate Change specialist, Teacher, HR Recruiter.
