There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
My own concern is primarily the terror and violence carried out by my own state... It is very easy to denounce the atrocities of someone else. That has about as much ethical value as denouncing atrocities that took place in the 18th century.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Chomsky emphasizes the importance of addressing one's own government's wrongdoings rather than just criticizing others.
In this quote, Noam Chomsky highlights a critical aspect of moral responsibility by pointing out that it is much simpler to condemn the actions of foreign entities than to confront and acknowledge the injustices perpetrated by one's own state. He argues that such acts of denouncement, particularly when they are selective, lack genuine ethical value if they do not involve self-reflection or scrutiny of one’s own nation’s actions.
Themes
EthicsViolenceStateAtrocitiesResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on national policies, one might quote this to highlight the importance of governmental accountability.
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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.
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