The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss Noam Chomsky
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Jun 18, 2019 
Lawrence Krauss talks with Noam Chomsky about American exceptionalism, foreign policy, North Korea, Brazil, free speech, and Donald Trump. They discuss anti-intellectualism, Vietnam War, China-US trade relationship, Trump's tactics, missile defense, religion in politics, nuclear weapons, Brazil's recent history, and balancing popular and scientific writing.
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Emerson's Superficiality
- Emerson, despite criticizing superficiality, showed it in his Civil War stance, shifting from pacifism to super-patriotism.
- This highlights intellectuals' tendency to align with their side during conflict, exemplified by Emerson and the Transcendentalists.
Wild Men in the Wings
- Intellectuals often face backlash for challenging institutions, like the Dreyfusards attacked by the French Academy.
- McGeorge Bundy labeled Vietnam War critics "wild men in the wings" for questioning U.S. motives, a recurring historical theme.
Academics and the Vietnam War
- Lawrence Krauss learned from Noam Chomsky that academics were among the last to oppose the Vietnam War.
- This surprised Krauss, who had revered academia and assumed they led such opposition.