There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
The uniformity and obedience of the media, which any dictator would admire...
Interpretation
What this quote means
The media often exhibits conformity and compliance that can be likened to the traits valued by dictators.
In this quote, Noam Chomsky critiques the media's tendency towards uniformity and blind obedience, suggesting that such characteristics are paradoxically similar to the behaviors that authoritarian leaders would find desirable. This observation invites a reflection on the role of the media in society and its responsibility to promote diverse viewpoints and encourage critical thinking rather than suppressing dissent in favor of consensus.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion about freedom of speech, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of diversity in media reporting.
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.
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.
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Ireland, sir, for good or evil, is like no other place under heaven, and no man can touch its sod or breathe its air without becoming better or worse.
It doesn't matter if that felony happened three weeks ago or thirty-five years ago - for the rest of your life, you've got to check that box, knowing full well the odds are sky-high your application is going straight to the trash.
Much of what we call evil is due entirely to the way men take the phenomenon. It can so often be converted into a bracing and tonic good by a simple change of the sufferer's inner attitude from one of fear to one of fight; its string can so often depart and turn into a relish when, after vainly seeking to shun it, we agree to face about and bear it.
Bondage is of the mind; freedom too is of the mind. If you say 'I am a free soul. I am a son of God who can bind me' free you shall be.