Lannan Foundation

Noam Chomsky, who has said, "If we do not believe in freedom of speech for those we despise we do not believe in it at all," was born in 1928 in Philadelphia. After receiving his doctorate in linguistics, Chomsky began teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was during this time that he became more publicly engaged in politics arguing against American involvement in the Vietnam War. Since then, he has been well known for his progressive political views, and has written and lectured widely on linguistics, philosophy, intellectual history, contemporary issues, international affairs, and U.S. foreign policy.

Noam Chomsky Bio and Cross Links

Tariq Ali was born in Lahore, now in Pakistan, then part of British-ruled India, in 1944. While at Punjab University, Ali organized public demonstrations against Pakistan's military dictatorship, and was consequently banned from participating in student politics. At the urging of his uncle, a member of the Pakistani Military Intelligence, Ali was sent abroad to continue his studies as his radicalism put him at risk of imprisonment. In Britain he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Exeter College, Oxford. During the height of the Vietnam War, Ali earned a national reputation through debates with figures like Henry Kissinger.

Tariq Ali Bio and Cross Links