United States foreign policy over the last century is "one of the most shameful ones in world history." MIT linguistics professor Noam Chomsky told an Emerson Hall audience of 400 last night.

Chomsky, who spoke as part of a week-long series of events organized by the Committee on Central America, compared U.S. in volvement in Nicaragua and Vietnam. Before getting heavily into the Indochina war in 1965, protest was virtually non existent--in sharp contrast to widespread criticism of U.S. support for anti-government rebels in Marxist-led Nicaragua.

The conciousness that has evolved since, Chomsky said, is the only hope of forcing the government to recognize that war will involve the cost of a disobedient society on an inefficient war effort.

Moreover, U.S. foreign policy. Chomsky charged in his 90 minute speech, aims to maintain Third World weakness so America can dominate and exploit it.

As a result, the U.S. has "opposed with tremendous ferocity any improvements in human rights, raise of living standards and democritization in Latin America. The very essence of American policy has been to increase massacre and repression.

More than 300 people were turned away from the speech because there wasn't space, said event organizer Douglas Brugge, a graduate student.

Chomsky's speech is one of several events being organized around the Boston area as part of Central America week Among other events, activists plan a demonstration on Saturday on Boston Common as a memorial to Nicaraguans who have been killed by U.S. backed "contras" there.