There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
A consistent anarchist must oppose private ownership of the means of production, and the wage-slavery which is a component of this system, as incompatible with the principle that labor must be freely undertaken and under the control of the producer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the conflict between private ownership in capitalism and the idea of freely chosen labor.
In this quote, Noam Chomsky argues that true anarchism entails rejecting private ownership of production because it leads to wage slavery, which contradicts the fundamental anarchist principle that labor should be voluntary and controlled by those who produce. Chomsky emphasizes that for anarchy to be realized, labor must not be coerced or exploited but rather freely undertaken by individuals who have autonomy over their work and its outcomes.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on economic systems, one could use this quote to illustrate the disparity between anarchist ideals and capitalist practices.
More from Noam Chomsky
All quotes →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.
Similar quotes
I'm still there, watching those possessed children, as far away from the mystery now as I was then. I've never written, though I thought I wrote, never loved, though I thought I loved, never done anything but wait outside the closed door.
The human body is always treated as an image of society.
We could present spatially an atomic fact which contradicted the laws of physics, but not one which contradicted the laws of geometry.
A thought may arise: 'It's okay now, but it's going to be different when I step out the door'. Already you are anticipating your downfall. Recognise these as just thoughts. You can just watch them, feel their pull yet observe them as a movement in consciousness. Stay put as formless awareness.
H. G. Wells was not the only one to mention Churchill and Hitler in the same breath: "Churchill and Hitler are striving to change the nature of their respective countrymen by forcing and hammering violent methods on them. Man may be suppressed in this manner but he cannot be changed. Ahimsa [non-violence in the Hindu tradition], on the other hand, can change human nature and sooner than men like Churchill and Hitler."
You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing.