QuoteProject
The good news from the U.S. military survey of focus groups is that Iraqis do accept the Nuremberg principles. They understand that sectarian violence and the other postwar horrors are contained within the supreme international crime committed by the invaders.
Noam Chomsky
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights Iraqis' understanding of their situation in relation to international law and the consequences of occupation.

Noam Chomsky's quote reflects on the Iraqi people's acceptance of the Nuremberg principles, indicating their awareness of the injustices inflicted upon them by invaders. It suggests that they recognize the postwar sectarian violence as a direct result of the supreme international crimes committed through the act of invasion, tying their suffering to broader concepts of justice and accountability.

Themes

IraqNuremberg PrinciplesInternational LawOccupationViolenceJustice

In practice

Example use cases

During a discussion on international law and war ethics, this quote can be used to illustrate the implications of military interventions.

More from Noam Chomsky

There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
Noam ChomskyRead
If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
Noam ChomskyRead
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.
Noam ChomskyRead
The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
Noam ChomskyRead
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.
Noam ChomskyRead

Similar quotes

And malt does more than Milton can to justify God's ways to man.
A. E. HousmanRead
This non-proletarianised plebs has been racialist when it has been colonialist; it has been nationalist - chauvinist - when it has been armed; and it has been fascist when it has become the police force.These ideological effects on the plebs have been uncontestable and profound.
Michel FoucaultRead
Censorship is the tool of those who have the need to hide actualities from themselves and from others. Their fear is only their inability to face what is real, and I can't vent any anger against them. I only feel this appalling sadness. Somewhere, in their upbringing, they were shielded against the total facts of our existence. They were only taught to look one way when many ways exist.
Charles BukowskiRead
If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.
Albert EinsteinRead
What can any one person do?' he said. 'Each person does a little something,' I said, 'and there you are.
Kurt VonnegutRead
Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself.
Salman RushdieRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.