"There comes a point when you cannot support your favourite dictator anymore."

Professor Chomsky spoke to the BBCs Jeremy Paxman and warned against intervention in Libya. Paxman asked about the Wests support for dictators in the past. Chomsky gave examples of where the West has been, and is now, complicit in supporting ruthless despots when it suits foreign policy and economics.

Professor in linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), philosopher, cognitive scientist and political activist, Noam Chomsky is currently on an international lecture tour. The 82 year-old has lost none of his intellectual powers. We may or may not agree with his position, but he does encourage us to consider the issues from a range of perspectives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9418922.stm

CL is a regular contributor to the ESL Teachers Board and works in a university in China.