There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders..... At the very bottom of command, if you are lucky you can rent yourself to it and get a job , and if you are sufficiently propagandized you may even buy some of the junk they produce and so on.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the hierarchical and authoritarian structure of corporations, suggesting they operate like totalitarian regimes.
Noam Chomsky's quote highlights the authoritarian nature of corporations, depicting them as totalitarian institutions that impose a rigid hierarchy. He points out that at the top are the decision-makers, while the majority of workers have little autonomy, merely following orders without significant input. The implication is that individuals at the bottom of the corporate structure are often left with limited choices and may even become complicit in supporting the very system that restricts them.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on corporate ethics, this quote can illustrate the dangers of unchecked corporate power.
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.
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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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