by Joey Ayoub
I sent an e-mail to Prof. Noam Chomsky almost a year ago on the 28th of March, 2011 and received a reply less than 2 hours later.
Dear Prof. Chomsky,
First of all, I’d like to thank you for everything you’ve done, you’ve really been an eye-opener for many of us.
I know you must be a very busy man so I just want to ask you a short question.
Do you think it’s possible that one day the world will really be equal? That world peace is an actual possibility with all the threats that humanity will have to face, from environmental to human? I know this isn’t a simple question and I thank you for your time.
I hope you’ll be coming back to Lebanon for a talk, I saw you the last time you came.
Thank You,
Joey Ayoub
His response:
Equal is a long way off. More equal? Sure, that’s possible. It’s happened before, under worse conditions. It is worth remembering that we benefit from a legacy of victories of popular struggle, and can continue from a higher plane.
Thank You for your message,
Noam Chomsky
Hummus For Thought 
ugh. In other words “marginal freedom”. Does the demand have to be all or none? Many critics of Chomsky say “yes, yes it does otherwise what is the purpose in idealistic political philosophy?” There is a legitimate concern here. Does this mean that Chomsky can be reduced to an optomist and an individual demanding the impossible? I think I find that historically figures that demand the impossible have, seemingly, the greatest positive impact on motivation. So I raise my glass to Chomsky, and to a better world, even if it’s all I can get!
Well said