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 Washington leadership has put aside non-proliferation programmes and devoted its energies and resources to driving the country to war by extraordinary deceit, then trying to manage the catastrophe it created in Iraq.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the Washington leadership for prioritizing war over non-proliferation efforts.
Noam Chomsky's quote addresses the actions of Washington leadership, highlighting how instead of focusing on important diplomatic initiatives like non-proliferation of weapons, they have shifted their attention to deceitful strategies aimed at leading the country into war, particularly referencing the consequences of the Iraq War. Chomsky conveys a sense of disillusionment regarding the manipulation of resources and the resulting chaos that ensued from such decisions, emphasizing accountability in political leadership.
Themes
LeadershipWarDeceitNon-ProliferationIraqPolitics
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate on the consequences of war and leadership decisions.
More from Noam Chomsky
All quotes →The '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
Excessive taxation . . . will carry reason & reflection to every man's door, and particularly in the hour of election.
Thomas JeffersonRead
The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositories, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern, some of them in our country and under our own eyes.
George WashingtonRead
The era when the United States was the dominant global power is steadily coming to an end, and it must find a way of acknowledging this and framing its ambitions and interests accordingly. Instead of claiming the right to continuing primacy in east Asia, for example, it should seek to share that primacy with China.
Martin JacquesRead
A Republic, if you can keep it.
Benjamin FranklinRead
Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
There also exists another alliance - at first glance a strange one, a surprising one - but if you think about it, in fact, one which is well grounded and easy to understand. This is the alliance between our Communist leaders and your capitalists. This alliance is not new. ... We observe continuous and steady support by the businessmen of the West of the Soviet Communist leaders.
Aleksandr SolzhenitsynRead