There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
Government actually grew during the Reagan years.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the irony that government size and influence increased during Ronald Reagan's presidency despite his rhetoric about reducing government.
Noam Chomsky's quote points to the contradiction in Ronald Reagan's policies, where, despite promoting a philosophy of reducing the size and role of government, the government in fact expanded during his administration. This suggests that the realities of political governance often diverge from the principles espoused by leaders, and that narratives around government power can be complex and misleading.
Themes
GovernmentPolicyReaganSizePolitics
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the expansion of government programs, one might use this quote to illustrate Reagan's contradictory policies.
More from Noam Chomsky
All quotes βThe '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
The politician and the government expert receive their revenues, not from service voluntarily purchased on the market, but from a compulsory levy on the populace. These officials, therefore, wholly lack the pecuniary incentive to care about serving the public properly and competently.
Murray RothbardRead
I am not political. It is not my job. But I would be happy if politicians could read my work and draw some conclusions from it.
Thomas PikettyRead
In the hands of politicians grand designs achieve nothing but new forms of the old misery.
John Le CarreRead
The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about Glasnost and Perestroika and democracy in the coming years. They are primarily for outward consumption. There will be no significant internal changes in the Soviet Union, other than for cosmetic purposes. Our purpose is to disarm the Americans and let them fall asleep.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
Palestine is the cement that holds the Arab world together, or it is the explosive that blows it apart.
Yasser ArafatRead