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 Iranian government is undoubtedly a severe danger to its own population, but not beyond that.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the Iranian government's threat to its citizens as well as its potential dangers beyond its borders.
In this quote, Noam Chomsky emphasizes the harmful impact of the Iranian government on its own people, suggesting that its oppressive actions create a significant risk to their well-being. He further implies that the government's behavior poses threats that extend beyond just its domestic consequences, affecting international relations and global stability.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about human rights violations in authoritarian regimes.
There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
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.
The irony of the political rise of the plutocrats is that, like Venice's oligarchs, they threaten the system that created them.
The new rage is to say that the government is the cause of all our problems, and if only we had no government, we'd have no problems. I can tell you, that contradicts evidence, history, and common sense.
It is the height of stupidity to claim that men who for a thousand years have had the power to berate us, to fleece us and to oppress us with impunity, will now agree, with good grace, to be our equals.
The government, which was designed for the people, has got into the hands of the bosses and their employers, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy.
My great objection to this government is, that it does not leave us the means of defending our rights, or of waging war against tyrants.
There's really no point to voting. If it made any difference, it would probably be illegal.
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