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Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky Quotes

Linguist

Noam Chomsky, born on December 7, 1928, is a renowned linguist from the United States. His research in generative grammar and transformational grammar has had a profound impact on modern linguistics. Chomsky's academic achievements extend beyond linguistics, as he is also an active political commentator and philosopher, known for his unique perspective and profound insights.

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Famous Noam Chomsky Quotes

“I don't see much use in general slogans. Sometimes it is worth resisting evil with lesser evil, very commonly in fact.”

Sometimes Facts Use Evil Slogans Resisting Lesser Evil

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Iceland is capitalist social democratic, rather like the Nordic countries generally. The capital had a mayor who is an anarchist, but the city has been nothing like that. In fact a few years ago it was super-neoliberal, which led to the crash.”

Years Has Beens Country Facts Social Cities Years Ago Democratic Capitalist Crash Anarchist Mayors Iceland Nordic

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The reason I am a political radical is that I work on syntax. If I worked on semantics (which in fact I do), I'd be a good Thatcherite.”

Ifs Reason Facts Political Radical Syntax Semantics

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Radical activists can't ignore the fact that we live in this world, like it or not, and have to make difficult decisions about which paths are the best - or sometimes, the least harmful. There are no abstract formulas. Have to think through each case on its own.”

Thinking World Sometimes Facts Difficult Decision Cases Path This World Radical Abstract Activist Formulas Difficult Decisions

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The fact of the matter is that the U.S. is run by an unusually class-conscious, dedicated business class that has a very violent labor history, much worse than in Europe.”

Matter Facts Running Class Conscious Europe Labor Violent Dedicated

Author:Noam Chomsky

“I've never seen a study, but my sense is that these are people who feel really aggrieved. These people think, "I've done everything right all my life, I'm a god-fearing Christian, I'm white, I'm male, I've worked hard, and I carry a gun. I do everything I'm supposed to do. And I'm getting shafted." And in fact they are getting shafted. For 30 years their wages have stagnated or declined, the social conditions have worsened, the children are going crazy, there are no schools, there's nothing, so somebody must be doing something to them, and they want to know who it is.”

People Thinking Knows Want Feels Years Children Hard Done Facts School Christian Social White Study Crazy Conditions Gun Males Wages Going Crazy Social Conditions

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, a rather striking aspect of business propaganda in the United States is the demonization of government, starting after the Second World War.”

World War States Facts Government United United States Aspect Starting Propaganda War Of The Worlds Second World War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, anyone who merits attention and who promotes any cause at all is doing so on the basis of a belief that it is somehow good for humans, because of their inherent nature.”

Humans Facts Belief Causes Attention Bases Merit Inherent

Author:Noam Chomsky

“To object that the facts about human nature set limits on our ability to change the world and ourselves makes about as much sense as the lament that our lack of wings sets limits on our ability to 'fly' as far as eagles under our own power.”

World Humans Facts Ability Human Nature Objects Limits Wings Changing The World Eagles Lament Ability To Change

Author:Noam Chomsky

“What is the nature of the genetic endowment? How does acquisition proceed? Etc. Scientists do routinely ask similar questions about the visual system, system of motor organisation, and others - including, in fact, the digestive system.”

Doe Facts Asks Scientist Including Visuals Etc Motor Acquisition Organisation Endowment Digestive System

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Whenever there is injustice, oppression, aggression, violence, it's standard for it to be supported by those we now call "intellectuals," but typically not by all; there is typically a fringe of dissidents. With very rare exceptions - in fact, it's hard to think of any - they suffer in one or another way; how depends on the nature of the society.”

Thinking Way Hard Facts Suffering Violence Depends Standards Injustice Oppression Exception Aggression Another Way Fringe Dissidents

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, it's pretty dramatic when you get to 1975, very revealing, the [Vietnam] war ends. Everybody had to write something about the war, what it meant. You also had polls of public opinion, and they're dramatically different.”

Writing Different War Ends Facts Opinion Dramatic Vietnam Public Opinion Polls Revealing Vietnam War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Why did the people think [Vietnam war] was fundamentally wrong and immoral? The guys who ran the polls, John E. Rielly, a professor at the University of Chicago, a liberal professor, he said what that means is that people thought too many Americans had being killed. Another possibility is they didn't like the fact that we were carrying out the worst crime since the Second World War. But that's so inconceivable that wasn't even offered as a possible reason.”

People Thinking World Mean Said War Reason Facts Guy Worst Crime Possibility University Ran War Of The Worlds Chicago Professors Vietnam Immoral Polls Vietnam War Second World War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, what were called the socialist countries in Eastern Europe were the most anti-socialist systems in the world. Workers had more rights in the United States and England than they had in Russia, and it was somehow still called socialism.”

World Stills Country States Facts United United States Rights Europe England Workers Russia Socialism Socialist Eastern Eastern Europe Socialist Countries

Author:Noam Chomsky

“As far as Bernie Sanders is concerned, he is a decent, honest person, and I supported him. What he means by socialism is New Deal Liberalism. In fact, his actual policies would not have been a great surprise to General Eisenhower. The fact that this is called a "political revolution" is a sign of how far to the right the political spectrum has shifted, mainly in the last 30 years since the neoliberal programs began to be instituted. What he was calling for was a restoration of something like New Deal Liberalism, which is a very good thing.”

“I think that the real tragedy of Greece - aside of the savagery of European bureaucracy, Brussels bureaucracy and northern banks, which was really savage - is that the Greek crisis didn't have to erupt. It could have been taken care of pretty easily at the very beginning. But it happened and Syriza came into office with a declared commitment to combat it, and in fact as I recall they actually called a referendum, which horrified Europe.”

Thinking Has Beens Real Facts Care Taken Happened Office Commitment Europe Tragedy Crisis Greek Combat Recalls Savages Bureaucracy Could Have Been Greece Savagery Referendums Brussels

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Nobody can successfully defy the master of the hemisphere [America], in fact of the world, hence the savagery.”

World Facts America Masters Hemisphere Savagery

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Let's take Adam Smith, the patron-saint of capitalism, what did he think? He thought the main human instinct was sympathy. In fact, take a look at the word "invisible hand." Which, of course, you learned about, or you think you've learned about. Take a look at the actual way in which he used the phrase. There is almost no relation to what is claimed.”

Thinking Way Humans Looks Facts Hands Used Courses Capitalism Relation Instinct Saint Invisible Phrases Adam Patron Invisible Hand

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, various lawyers' groups - to some extent in the U.S. but mostly in England and Canada and elsewhere - are bringing demands for a war crimes trial for the crime of aggression. However, though the invasion of Iraq was plainly an act of aggression, it doesn't break any records.”

War Facts Break Records Groups Crime Demand England Iraq Various Lawyer Trials Canada Elsewhere Aggression Invasion War Crimes

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, by universal grammar I mean just that system of principles and structures that are the prerequisites for acquisition of language, and to which every language necessarily conforms.”

Mean Facts Language Principles Universal Structure Conform Grammar Acquisition Prerequisites

Author:Noam Chomsky

“You can imagine a different world in which a number of species developed with different genetically determined linguistic systems. It hasn't happened in evolution. What has happened is that one species has developed, and the genetic structure of this species happens to involve a variety of intricate abstract principles of linguistic organization that, therefore, necessarily constrain every language, and, in fact, create the basis for learning language as a way of organizing experience rather than constituting something learned from experience.”

“Let's imagine again an observer looking at us without any preconceptions. I think he would be struck by the fact that although human beings have the capacity to develop scientific knowledge, it must be a very limited capacity because it is only done in very narrow and specific domains.”

Thinking Humans Done Facts Would Be Human Beings Imagine Capacity Observers Domain Preconceptions Scientific Knowledge

Author:Noam Chomsky

“There are huge areas where the human mind is apparently incapable of forming sciences, or at least has not done so. There are other areas - so far, in fact, one area only [physics] - in which we have demonstrated the capacity for true scientific progress.”

Mind Humans Done Facts Progress Huge Areas Capacity Physics Human Mind Incapable Scientific Progress

Author:Noam Chomsky

“There is no evolutionary pressure to create minds capable of forming sciences; it just happened. Evolutionary pressure has not led to higher rates of reproduction for people capable of solving scientific problems or creating new scientific ideas. So if, in fact, the science-forming capacities evolved for other reasons, it would not be too surprising if those particular structures that have developed proved to be rather special in their nature, reflecting the contingencies of their evolution or the working of physical law.”

People Ifs Mind Ideas Reason Facts Problem Law Happened Special Particular Evolution Higher Creating Capable Capacity Pressure Structure Rate Surprising Reflecting Reproduction Contingency

Author:Noam Chomsky

“We naturally assume that our mental structures are universal. But I suppose an outside biologist looking at us would see something very different. He would see that, like other organisms, we have a narrow sphere within which we are very good, but that sphere is very limited. And that, in fact, the very achievements we can have within that sphere are related to lack of achievements in other spheres.”

Different Facts Achievement Universal Structure Assuming Very Good Related Spheres Organisms Biologist

Author:Noam Chomsky

“While I think in principle people should not have irrational beliefs, I should say that as a matter of fact, it is people who hold what I regard as completely irrational beliefs who are among the most effective moral actors in the world, in many respects. They're among the worst, but also among the best, even though the moral beliefs are ostensibly the same.”

People Thinking World Should Matter Facts Actors Belief Moral Principles Worst Regard Irrational Matter Of Fact Irrational Beliefs Moral Beliefs

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Every book that comes out, every article that comes out, talks about how - while it may have been a "mistake" or an "unwise effort" - the United States was defending South Vietnam from North Vietnamese aggression. And they portray those who opposed the war as apologists for North Vietnam. That's standard to say. The purpose is obvious: to obscure the fact that the United States did attack South Vietnam and the major war was fought against South Vietnam.”

May Has Beens Book War States Facts Purpose United Effort Mistake United States Majors Standards South Obvious Articles Vietnam Aggression Obscure Unwise Vietnamese

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The real invasion of South Vietnam which was directed largely against the rural society began directly in 1962 after many years of working through mercenaries and client groups. And that fact simply does not exist in official American history. There is no such event in American history as the attack on South Vietnam. That's gone. Of course, It is a part of real history. But it's not a part of official history.”

Years Doe Real Facts Courses Gone Groups Events South Officials Vietnam American History Clients Invasion

Author:Noam Chomsky

“There's just no question that the United States was trying desperately to prevent the independence of South Vietnam and to prevent a political settlement inside South Vietnam. And in fact it went to war precisely to prevent that. It finally bombed the North in 1965 with the purpose of trying to get the North to use its influence to call off the insurgency in the South.”

Trying War States Facts Use Political Purpose United United States Influence Independence South Vietnam Settlement Insurgency

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Arab public opinion does not regard Iran as a hostile entity. In fact it's so supportive of Iran that a majority would think the place would be better off if Iran had nuclear weapons. The main enemies are the United States and Isreal, in the 80, 90 percent range.”

“Looking at polls of Arab public opinion, you look at popular figures, the most popular figure is the prime minister of Turkey, Erdogan, and then it goes down the list. You get Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, you don't get Obama, or in fact any western leader. The public doesn't want the whole imperial project. So if you had democracy, it would be all over.”

“In America, we happen to be living in a third world country from the point of view of economic and social development. I came back from New York yesterday and I took the fastest train in the country, the Acela. My wife and I took the New York-Boston train sixty years ago - it wasn't called the Acela then - and I think it's improved by about fifteen minutes since then. Any other country in the world would be about half the time. In fact when it's riding along the Connecticut turnpike it's barely keeping up with traffic, which is just scandalous.”

“English is a second language in most of the educated sectors of Europe and much of the world. But maybe in the future Chinese will be. But I doubt that national languages will disappear. In fact, to some extent they're becoming more diverse, like in Europe.”

World Facts Language Doubt Becoming Europe Disappear Educated Chinese Diverse Becoming More National Language

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Hamas must agree to first recognize Israel, second to end all violence, third to accept past agreements. Try to find a mention of the fact that the United States and Israel reject all three of those. They obviously don't recognize Palestine, they certainly don't withdraw the use of violence or the threat of it - in fact they insist on it - and they don't accept past agreements, including the road map.”

Trying Firsts Ends States Facts Use Past Three United Accepting United States Violence Thirds Agree Threat Including Israel Agreement Rejects Maps Palestine Hamas Road Maps

Author:Noam Chomsky

“When people denounced [former Iranian president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad for rejecting and criminalizing homosexuality, it should be remembered that was true of the United States until very recently. Women's rights were unheard of. Civil rights proponents were horribly treated, not just in the South. It was awful there, but pretty bad here. Environmental issues did not exist. Opposition to aggression was virtually zero. In fact, so little, that to this day, even scholarship mentions the Vietnam War as beginning in 1965.”

“The Republicans have picked that as the one thing that they want to hang on to to try to gain some political stand, so they have to destroy what they call Obamacare. This is now not all the Republicans, it's a wing of the Republican Party, which is called conservative but in fact is just deeply reactionary.”

Want Trying Facts Political Party One Thing Republican Gains Wings Conservative Republican Party Obamacare Reactionaries

Author:Noam Chomsky

“If [Respulicans] can't get rid of [Obamacare], they're going to have to tell their base, we've been lying to you for the last five years. So they're willing to go to almost any extent to do that. That's unusual, in fact I think it's unique in the history of modern parliamentary systems. And it's very dangerous for the country and for the world.”

Ifs Thinking World Years Country Facts Lasts Lying Five Modern Dangerous Willing Unique Five Years Unusual Obamacare Parliamentary Last Five Years Parliamentary System

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The shutdown itself is bad but not devastating. The real danger will come up in a couple of weeks. There's legislation which is in fact routine - it's passed every year - which allows the government to borrow money, otherwise it can't function. If Congress does not approve this budget request, the government may have to default.”

Ifs Years May Doe Real Facts Government Week Danger Couple Function Congress Come Up Budgets Routine Legislation Request Default

Author:Noam Chomsky

“South America has virtually broken away in the last decade. That's an event of historic significance. South America just doesn't follow US orders. In fact there isn't a single US military base left there.”

Facts Lasts America Order Left Military Events Broken South Decades Significance Historic South America Us Military

Author:Noam Chomsky

“In fact, it was stated early in the first Bush [presidency], Bush I, in one of their documents they pointed out in the future, US wars are going to be against much weaker enemies. And they have to be won quickly and decisively before a popular reaction develops. And Iif you take a look, that's what's done. Look at Panama, for instance, over a couple of days; and Kosovo, no American troops.”

Firsts Looks War Done Facts Enemy Couple Reactions Instance Troops Documents Presidency Kosovo Panama American Troops

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The Obama administration is dedicated to increasing terrorism. In fact, he is doing it all over the world. Obama is running the biggest terrorist operation that exists, maybe in history. The drone assassination campaigns - which are just part of the special forces operations and so on - all of these operations are terror operations.”

World Facts Running Force Special Terror Terrorism Campaigns Terrorist Administration Operations Dedicated Assassination Drones Special Forces

Author:Noam Chomsky

“If in fact, the US story is correct, if it is true that Syria used chemical weapons, then it wouldn't be a major crime to send a kind of shot across the bow saying you can't do this anymore. Not the best thing in the world, but not a major crime, either. So, I think at the very least there should have been an inquiry into what happened. But just joining the bandwagon about how we're finally standing up to crimes in Syria, that's ridiculous.”

“If you look at history, even recent history, you see that there is indeed progress. . . . Over time, the cycle is clearly, generally upwards. And it doesn't happen by laws of nature. And it doesn't happen by social laws. . . . It happens as a result of hard work by dedicated people who are willing to look at problems honestly, to look at them without illusions, and to go to work chipping away at them, with no guarantee of success — in fact, with a need for a rather high tolerance for failure along the way, and plenty of disappointments.”

“To cite the facts of history is to fall prey to 'moral equivalence,' or 'political correctness,' or 'the error of of atheism,' or one of the other misdeeds concocted to guard against the sins of understanding and insight into the real world.”

World Real Facts Political Fall Understanding Sin Moral Atheism Errors Insight Real World Prey Political Correctness Correctness Citing Misdeeds

Book:World Orders, Old and New

Source: World Orders, Old and New

“The times are too difficult and the crisis too severe to indulge in schadenfreude. Looking at it in perspective, the fact that there would be a financial crisis was perfectly predictable: its general nature, if not its magnitude. Markets are always inefficient.”

Ifs Facts Would Be Difficult Perspective Crisis Financial Severe Indulge Predictable Magnitude Indulge In Financial Crisis Schadenfreude

Author:Noam Chomsky

“When I was in high school I asked myself at one point: "Why do I care if my high school's team wins the football game? I don't know anybody on the team, they have nothing to do with me... why am I here and applaud? It does not make any sense." But the point is, it does make sense: It's a way of building up irrational attitudes of submission to authority and group cohesion behind leadership elements. In fact it's training in irrational jingoism. That's also a feature of competitive sports.”

“Unlimited economic growth has the marvelous quality of stilling discontent while maintaining privilege, a fact that has not gone unnoticed among liberal economists.”

Facts Growth Quality Gone Economic Privilege Marvelous Unlimited Economist Maintaining Economic Growth Discontent Unnoticed

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The fact that all normal children acquire essentially comparable grammars of great complexity with remarkable rapidity suggests that human beings are somehow specially designed to do this, with data-handling or 'hypothesis-formulating' ability of unknown character and complexity.”

Humans Children Character Facts Language Human Beings Ability Normal Data Complexity Acquire Remarkable Hypothesis Grammar

Book:The Boundaries of Babel: The Brain and the Enigma of Impossible Languages

Source: The Boundaries of Babel: The Brain and the Enigma of Impossible Languages

“Why does everyone take for granted that we don't learn to grow arms, but rather, are designed to grow arms? Similarly, we should conclude that in the case of the development of moral systems; there's a biological endowment which in effect requires us to develop a system of moral judgment and a theory of justice, if you like, that in fact has detailed applicability over an enormous range.”

Ifs Should Doe Facts Grows Justice Moral Cases Effects Theory Arms Development Judgment Ethics Enormous Granted Range Endowment Moral Judgment

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Our crimes, for which we are responsible: as taxpayers, for failing to provide massive reparations, for granting refuge and immunity to the perpetrators, and for allowing the terrible facts to be sunk deep in the memory hole. All of this is of great significance, as it has been in the past.”

Has Beens Facts Past Church Memories Failing Crime Terrible Responsible Corruption Holes Significance Massive Allowing Refuge Taxpayers Immunity Perpetrators Reparations

Book:9-11 [neuf-onze]

Source: 9-11 [neuf-onze]

About the Author

Born: December 7, 1928
Known for: Linguist
Quotes: 1825

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