Chomsky’s legacy should be understood beyond the Epstein files

It has been a sad time for the legions of fans of Noam Chomsky, having to see their hero in a photo hobnobbing with the late paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein inside the latter’s private jet.The picture and their email exchanges were part of millions of pages released by the US Justice Department from its so-called Epstein files. So far, the most high-profile fallouts have been, understandably, the arrest of the former Prince Andrew, the public disgrace of British Labour Party official Peter Mandelson, the resignation of Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler and criminal charges against former Norwegian prime minister Thorbjørn Jagland.But among intellectuals and leftists, the appearance of Chomsky in the files has them thunderstruck. No one has accused the great linguist and critic of United States imperialism of any wrongdoing, but his personal association with the monster clearly shows an extraordinary lapse of judgment, for which his wife and fellow linguist, Valeria Chomsky has publicly apologised.But in the avalanche of public criticism against the man, there has been an element of guilt by association. The truth of the matter is that to further his social standing and influence, Epstein used his wealth to donate massively to some of the most prestigious universities in the United States, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Chomsky was a long-time faculty member.Epstein cultivated relationships with world-famous academics such as Chomsky, who unfortunately fell for Epstein’s jet-setting lifestyle. But he won’t be the first or the last champagne socialist to fraternise with rich and powerful elites, among whom, without doubt, many monsters lurk.Chomsky is 97; I sincerely hope the Epstein scandal will not permanently taint his legacy, which has been extraordinarily inspiring and enlightening to countless people the world over, including yours truly, both morally and intellectually.