Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival (Chapter 1!)

For this next week in REAP, we will be reading the first chapter of Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival: http://www.carpediem.org.ve/imagenes/Noam_Chomsky_Hegemony_or_survival.pdf

Furthermore, we will be discussing the nature of power. As a lead up to this discussion, I (Dan) have prepared some questions for you to consider (and answer). We will be discussing your answers (along with the reading) at the next meeting.

Remember: there are no right or wrong answers; just try to be consistent with yourself. Consider:

1) Define "power".

2) By your definition, do you have/wield power?
3) By your definition, does the government or state have/wield power?
4) By your definition, do other people/things have power over you?
5) Can power be legitimate or illegitimate? What determines whether it is or not?
6) Is it a characteristic of an entity itself, or merely of an entity's action(s)?
7) Can power be created or destroyed?

Take your answers thus far to their extreme conclusions:
8) What would ultimate power look like?
9) Could you live in a power-less world? What would it look like?

Finally,
10) Think about it some more. Are there any interesting or unexpected conclusions from your thoughts?