There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below.
Interpretation
True progress requires effort and struggle rather than being handed to us.
Noam Chomsky highlights the idea that meaningful changes and advancements in society rarely occur spontaneously or effortlessly; instead, they emerge from the hard work and determination of those who face challenges. This quote emphasizes that progress is often the result of collective struggle and perseverance, rather than being bestowed upon us as a gift from external forces.
In practice
This quote can be used in a motivational speech to encourage individuals facing difficulties.
There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.
The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality.
If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and make a change.
The locus of corporate innovations has been product development. But in times of rapid and unpredictable change, the creation of individual products becomes less important than the creation of a general organizational aptitude for innovation.
Everything is an experiment until it has a deadline. That gives it a destination, context, and a reason.
I think the fossil fuel industry is genuinely freaked out by the combination of the price collapse, the divestment movement, and that fact that renewable energy is getting so cheap so fast.
The path to relative economic, social and ecological sustainability is guaranteed to be littered with failures of every nature and scale. If we recognize them and learn from them, the transition will proceed faster and in more resource-efficient ways. If, on the other hand, we prefer the short-term comfort of burying our failures, or of blaming scapegoats, the transition will be significantly slowed, or could even be derailed completely.
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