While many students were at home recovering from the mid-term crunch, dozens of students stayed until late night last Thursday for the screening of Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky, renowned writer and political activist.
“This is to show and to raise awareness about issues that are not shown in mainstream media,” said Ezra Winton, a communications/political science student who was in charge of the screening. The event was part of a series of movies presented by Cinema Politica.
“This is the last public place where we can discuss and not be dictated by big companies,” said Winton.
Companies like NBC Universal were formed by the fusion of Vivendi Universal and General Electric Co. (GE) that occurred on Oct. 9, 2003. Big giant conglomerates scoop out smaller ones such as NBC and Disney for their best interest. NBC Universal is now a $43 million US entertainment powerhouse and one of the world’s biggest conglomerates.
In Manufactuing Consent, the fusion of Vivendi Universal and GE is an example of Chomsky’s view on the question of who is responsible for the shaping of today’s society.
“There are people with power and won’t let the country get out of control,” he said in the movie.
Chomsky is one of America’s most prominent political dissidents. He has authored over 30 political books on U.S. intervention in the developing world, the political economy of human rights and the propaganda of corporate media.
Although he may be viewed as a harsh critic on the U.S. policies, he is also one of the most sought after public speakers.
In Manufacturing Consent, viewers saw an overview of Chomsky’s life under the public’s eye through his interviews, speeches and confrontations with other scholars and journalists.
His views are what made many students attend the screening. One of the viewers, who didn’t give his name, said the movie gave him another perspective, which is not taught in class.
“I’m just an individual and not Amnesty International,” said Chomsky in a former interview with journalist David Frum about his choice of topics.
For more information on future screenings, please check www.uberculture.org or www.amnestyconcordia.ca
