The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
Noam ChomskyRead
There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Pentagon Papers reveal that the U.S. government misled the public about the reasons for the Vietnam War.
Noam Chomsky emphasizes that the content of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the realities of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, cannot be justified in terms of national defense. This statement underscores the deception practiced by government officials in their narrative surrounding the war and highlights a critical examination of governmental transparency and accountability.
Themes
Pentagon PapersTruthGovernmentTransparencyWar
In practice
Example use cases
During a political debate about government transparency.
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Unless confronted by an immediate, visible, or uncomfortable crisis, our nation's tendency is to take the security of the Western Hemisphere for granted.
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