There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
It was during the Reagan years that defiance of international law and the U.N. Charter became entirely open.
Interpretation
This quote critiques the disregard for international laws and norms during Reagan's presidency.
Noam Chomsky's quote emphasizes a crucial period in American foreign policy when the U.S. openly flouted international laws and United Nations regulations. It suggests that this defiance marked a significant shift in diplomatic conduct, raising concerns about accountability and the rule of law on a global scale.
In practice
In a discussion about international relations, to illustrate the importance of upholding global standards.
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.
To lapse in fulness Is sorer than to lie for need, and falsehood Is worse in kings than beggars.
It is time that we admitted that faith is nothing more than the license religious people give one another to keep believing when reasons fail.
Don't minimize the importance of luck in determining life's course.
Communism, like any other revealed religion, is largely made up of prophecies.
One day humanity will play with law just as children play with disused objects, not in order to restore them to their canonical use but to free them from it for good.
In reality, the past is preserved by itself automatically.
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