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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

“No liberal newspaper ever talked about the invasion of Vietnam; they talked about the defense of Vietnam. And then they were saying, "well, it's not going well." Ok, that make them liberal. It's like, it's if we were to say, that going back to, say, Nazi Germany, that Hitler's general staff was liberal after Stalingrad because they were criticizing his tactics: "It was a mistake to fight a two front war, we should've knocked off Englad first," or something.”

Ifs Should Firsts Wells Two War Fighting Mistake Fronts Defense Newspapers Germany Criticize Vietnam Staff Nazi Tactics Invasion Nazi Germany Stalingrad

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Take like, say, Obama, he's called "liberal" and he's praised for his "principled objection to the Iraq war". What was his "principled objection"? He says it was a "strategic blunder," like Nazi generals after Stalingrad.”

War Iraq Nazi Strategic Objections Iraq War Blunders Principled Stalingrad

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Today, aid to Colombia is given under the pretext of a drug war. That's pretty hard to take seriously. Ten years ago, Amnesty International flatly called it a myth.”

Years War Hard Today Given Drug Ten Years Ago International Myth Aids War On Drugs Pretext Colombia Amnesty Amnesty International

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Take Germany and Japan, both defeated in the Second World War. Germany has acknowledged its monstrous crimes to a certain extent, has paid reparations and so on. Japan, in contrast, apologizes for nothing and has paid no reparations, with one exception: It pays reparations to the United States, but not to Asia.”

World War States Certain United Pay United States Crime Paid War Of The Worlds Germany Japan Exception Contrast Defeated Apologizing Asia Monstrous Second World War Reparations

Author:Noam Chomsky

“It is now well-known that the Taliban's creation was facilitated by the CIA and the ISI as part of the 1980s anti-Soviet war.”

Wells War Known Creation Soviet Well Known Cia Taliban

Author:Noam Chomsky

“It was right after Woodrow Wilson's first serious post-World War I repression, which deported thousands of people, effectively destroyed unions and independent press, and so on. Right after that, the anti-immigration law was passed that remained in place until the 1960s.”

People World Firsts War Law Serious Independent Presses Unions Immigration Destroyed Posts War Of The Worlds World War I 1960s Repression Wilson Immigration Laws

Author:Noam Chomsky

“After World War II there were many Jews who remained in refugee camps...President Harry F. Truman called for the Harrison Commission to investigate the situation in the camps and it was a pretty gloomy report. There were very few Jews admitted into the United States.”

World War States President United Situation United States Jew War Of The Worlds Reports Camps World War Ii World War I Refugee Gloomy Truman Refugee Camps

Author:Noam Chomsky

“George Kennan is another extreme case. He was the American consul in Berlin until the war between Germany and the United States broke out in December 1941. And until then he was writing pretty supportive statements back stressing that we shouldn't be so hard on the Nazis if they were doing something we didn't agree with - basically repeating the idea that they were people we could do business with.”

People Ifs Writing Ideas War Hard States United Cases United States Stress Agree Extremes Statements Broke Germany Nazi Supportive Berlin December

Author:Noam Chomsky

“When I wrote about the Spanish Civil War many years later, I used documents that I picked up when I was a child, as a lot hadn't been published (a lot more resources are available now).”

Years Children War Used Resources Available Civil War Documents Spanish Civil War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“[Francisco Franco] said they should resort to guerrilla war. Which has a history in Spain.”

Should Said War Spain Resorts Franco Guerrillas Francisco Franco

Author:Noam Chomsky

“[Camillo] Berneri proposed that the anarchists should link up with the effort of Northern Africa to overthrow the Spanish government, carry out land reform, attract the base of the Moorish army, and see if they could undermine [Francisco] Franco's army through political warfare in Northern Africa combined with guerrilla warfare in Spain. Historians laughed at that, but I don't think they should have. This was the kind of war that might have succeeded in stopping Spanish fascism.”

“There are cases - for example, the American Revolution. George Washington's army lost just about every battle with the British, who had a much better army. The war was basically won by guerrilla forces that managed to undermine the British occupation.”

War Lost Force Cases Example Revolution Battle Army British Occupation American Revolution Guerrillas

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The American Revolution was a small part of a major world war going on between France and England, so the French intervened and that was a big factor, but the domestic contribution was basically guerrilla warfare.”

World War Bigs Revolution Majors England Factors France War Of The Worlds Contribution Warfare American Revolution Small Parts Guerrillas Guerrilla Warfare France And England

Author:Noam Chomsky

“There are very interesting books about these events, for instance one by a very well-known American historian named William R. Polk called Violent Politics. It's a record of what are basically guerrilla wars from the American Revolution right up through the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Wells Book War Interesting Known Records Events Revolution Iraq Violent Instance Historian Afghanistan Well Known Very Interesting American Revolution Guerrillas Interesting Book

Author:Noam Chomsky

“William R. Polk discusses the Spanish guerrilla war against Napoleon [ Bonaparte] and other cases where the conflict turns into a political war, and the invader, who usually has overwhelming power, loses because they can't fight the political war.”

War Political Turns Fighting Loses Cases Conflict Overwhelming Invaders Guerrillas Bonaparte

Author:Noam Chomsky

“To go back to a moment of Western civilization remote enough in time so that we should be able to look at it dispassionately, ask what happened during World War I. What was the typical behavior of respected intellectuals in Germany, England, the United States? What happened to those who publicly questioned the nobility of the war effort, on both sides? I do not think the answers are untypical.”

“For a while, after the Second World War, when there was strong support for labor, this was done subtly.”

World War Done Strong Support Labor War Of The Worlds Second World War

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

“The Second World War ended with a radicalization of the population in the United States and everywhere else, and called for all kinds of things like popular takeovers, government intervention, and worker takeovers of factories. Business propagated a tremendous propaganda offensive. The scale surprised me when I read the scholarship - it's enormous, and it's been very effective. There were two major targets: one is unions, the other is democracy.”

“Government grew under [Ronald] Reagan. He was the strongest opponent of free markets in the post-war history among presidents. But it doesn't matter what the reality is; they concocted an image that you worship.”

War Matter Reality Government President Grew Worship Posts Opponents Strongest Free Market Post War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“One of the dangers [that Donald Trump poses, due to the augmented risk of nuclear war] is unquestionable. Of the two existential threats - the threats to the termination of the species basically and most other species - one of them, climate change, on that I think there's no basis for discussion.”

Thinking Two War Risk Danger Trump Bases Threat Climate Species Climate Change Dues Nuclear Discussion Existential Nuclear War Termination

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Remember that in any major nuclear war, the first strike destroys the country that attacks; it's been known for years. The first strike of a major power is very likely to cause what's called nuclear winter, leads to global famine for years and everything's basically gone. Some survivors straggling around. Could [Donald Trump] do it? Who knows.”

Knows Years Firsts War Country Remember Causes Known Gone Trump Majors Winter Strikes Nuclear Survivor Famine Nuclear War Nuclear Winter

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Some of [Donald Trump] comments can be interpreted as potentially reducing the threat of nuclear war. The major threat right now is right on the Russian border. Notice, not the Mexican border, the Russian border. And it's serious. He has made various statements moving towards reducing the tensions, accommodating Russian concerns and so on.”

Made War Moving Serious Trump Right Now Majors Concern Threat Various Nuclear Statements Borders Tension Comment Mexican Reducing Nuclear War Mexican Border

Author:Noam Chomsky

“Michael Flynn, national security adviser, [his reaction] to the Iranian missile test the other day was very frightening. Now the missile test is ill-advised, they shouldn't have done it. But it's not in violation of international law or international agreements. They shouldn't have done it. His reaction suggested maybe we're going to go to war in retaliation.”

War Done Law Security Tests International Ill Reactions Agreement Frightening National Security Violation Missiles Iranian Adviser International Law Retaliation

Author:Noam Chomsky

“What's the purpose of NATO? Well actually we have an official answer. It isn't publicized much, but a couple of years ago, the secretary-general of NATO made a formal statement explaining the purpose of NATO in the post-Cold War world is to control global energy systems, pipelines, and sea lanes. That means it's a global system and of course he didn't say it, it's an intervention force under US command, as we've seen in case after case. So that's NATO.”

“If you look back to the anti-intervention movements, what were they? Let's take the Vietnam War - the biggest crime since the Second World War. You couldn't be opposed to the war for years. The mainstream liberal intellectuals were enthusiastically in support of the war. In Boston, a liberal city where I was, we literally couldn't have a public demonstration without it being violently broken up, with the liberal press applauding, until late 1966.”

Ifs World Years Looks War Cities Support Crime Movement Broken Late Presses War Of The Worlds Vietnam Mainstream Boston Intervention Demonstration Vietnam War Second World War Broken Up

Author:Noam Chomsky

“By that time [1966], we did begin to get some protests [against Vietnam War]. But not from liberal intellectuals; they never opposed the war.”

War Protest Vietnam Vietnam War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“So if you look at the writings of intellectuals, there are two kinds. One said, l"Look, if we fought harder we could have won.But the others, who were way at the left, people like Anthony Lewis of the New York Times, way out in left stream, his view in 1975 was the Vietnam war began with blundering efforts to do good. But by 1969, it was clear that it was a disaster, that was too costly to us.”

People Ifs Way Writing Looks Kind Said Two War Left Views Effort Clear New York Harder Disaster Streams Vietnam Vietnam War New York Times

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

“Take a look at public opinion. About 70 percent of the population, in the polls, said the [Vietnam ] war was fundamentally wrong and immoral, not a mistake. And that attitude lasted as long as polls were taken in the early '80s.”

Looks Long Said War Mistake Attitude Opinion Taken Percent Population Vietnam 80s Immoral Public Opinion Polls 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

“Take the Iraq War,it's the second worst crime after the Second World War. It's the first time in history, in the history of imperialism, there were huge demonstrations, before the war was officially launched.”

World Firsts War Worst Crime Huge First Time Iraq War Of The Worlds World War I Imperialism Demonstration Iraq War Second World War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“US wars are going to be against much weaker enemies. And they have to be won quickly and decisively before a popular reaction develops.”

War Enemy Reactions

Author:Noam Chomsky

“That's a point that Dan Ellsberg has made for years. He said it's kind of like if you and I go into a grocery store to rob it, and I have a gun. The guy may give you the money in the cash register. I'm using the gun even if I don't shoot. Well that's nuclear weapons - essential to post-war deterrence - they cast a shadow over everything.”

Ifs Giving Years Wells Kind May Made Said War Guy Essentials Weapons Gun Shadow Casts Stores Nuclear Posts Cash Nuclear Weapons Groceries Register Grocery Stores Post War Deterrence

Author:Noam Chomsky

“That's our nuclear weapons strategy [going to frighten people], as of the early post-Cold War years. And I think this is a real failure of the intellectual community, including scholarship and the media. It's not like you had headlines all over the place. And it's not secret, the documents are there. And I think that's probably the right picture.”

People Thinking Years War Real Community Secret Media Like You Cold Weapons Intellectual Strategy Including Nuclear Posts Nuclear Weapons Documents Cold War Scholarship Headlines

Author:Noam Chomsky

“We have to remember that literally within months after Castro's taking office the planes from Florida were beginning to bomb Cuba. Within a year, the Eisenhower administration secretly, but formally, decided to overthrow the government. Then came the Bay of Pigs invasion. The Kennedy administration was furious about the failure of the invasion and immediately launched a major terrorist war and economic war that got harsher through the years. Under these conditions it is kind of amazing that Cuba survived.”

“The Second World War had really devastating effects for much of Europe. It really didn't take them very long to reconstruct state capitalist democracies because it was in people's heads. There were other parts of the world that were pretty much devastated and they couldn't do it; they didn't have the conceptions in their mind. A lot of it is human consciousness.”

People World Mind Humans Long War States Consciousness Democracy Effects Europe War Of The Worlds Conception Capitalist Second World War Devastated Human Consciousness

Author:Noam Chomsky

“We should recall that during the Second World War and the Great Depression there was an upsurge in popular, radical democracy. In all over the world. It took different forms, but it was there, everywhere. In Greece it was in the Greek revolution, and so on. And it had to be crushed. In countries like Greece, it was crushed by violence. In countries like Italy, where the US forces entered in 1943, it was crushed by attacking and destroying the anti-German partisans and restoring the traditional order.”

“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

“I think religion has often played a very positive role. Take western civilization, the Catholic Church has played an honorable role in helping those in need. In contrast, the US carried out a virtual war against the church in central America in the 1980's primarily because prime elements in the church were working with great courage and honor to help those in need. And to organize them to help themselves.”

“One of the Christian fundamentalists' goals seems to be to rebuild the Temple, which means destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which presumably means war with the Arab world - one of the goals, perhaps, in fulfilling the prophecy of Armageddon. So they strongly support Israeli power and expansionism, and help fund it and lobby for it; but they also support actions that are very harmful and objectionable to most of its population - as do Jewish fundamentalist groups, mostly rooted in the US, which, after all, is one of the most extreme religious fundamentalist societies in the world.”

“American imperialism has suffered a stunning defeat in Indochina. But the same forces are engaged In another war against a much less resilient enemy, the American people. Here, the prospects for success are much greater. The battleground is ideological, not military. At stake are the lessons to be drawn from the American war in Indochina; the outcome will determine the course and character of new imperial ventures.”

“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

“Most of us who were opposed to the war, especially in the early '60's - the war we were opposed to was the war on South Vietnam which destroyed South Vietnam's rural society. The South was devastated. But now anyone who opposed this atrocity is regarded as having defended North Vietnam. And that's part of the effort to present the war as if it were a war between South Vietnam and North Vietnam with the United States helping the South. Of course it's fabrication. But it's "official truth" now.”

Ifs War States Helping Courses United Effort United States South Destroyed Officials Vietnam Atrocities Devastated Fabrication

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The U.S. directed the war against South Vietnam. There was a political settlement in 1954. But in the late '50's the United States organized an internal repression in South Vietnam, not using its troops, but using the local apparatus it was constructing. This was a very significant and very effective campaign of violence and terrorism against the Vietminh - which was the communist-led nationalist force that fought the French. And the Vietminh at that time was adhering to the Geneva Accords, hoping that the political settlement would work out in South Vietnam.”

“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

“Younger people who are being indoctrinated into the contemporary system of falsification - they really have to do some research to find out what is the truth. In the general population, people forget or don't care that much. And gradually what you hear drilled into your head everyday comes to be believed. People don't understand what you're talking about any more if you discuss the American war on South Vietnam.”

People Ifs War Care Forget Talking Research South Everyday Population Don't Care Contemporary Vietnam Falsification American War

Author:Noam Chomsky

“A colonial war is a very dirty kind of war. You're not fighting armed forces. You're fighting mostly unarmed people. And to fight that kind of war requires professional killers, which means mercenaries.”

People Kind Mean War Fighting Force Dirty Killers Armed Forces Unarmed

Author:Noam Chomsky

“The Iranian issue I don't think has much to do with nuclear weapons frankly. Nobody is saying Iran should have nuclear weapons nor should anybody else. But the point in the Middle East, as distinct from North Korea, is that this is center of the world's energy resources. Originally the British and secondarily the French had dominated it, but after the Second World War, it's been a U.S. preserve. That's been an axiom of U.S. foreign policy, that it must control Middle East energy resources.”

“By accident of geography, the world's major oil resources are in Shi'ite-dominated areas. Iran's oil is concentrated right near the gulf, which happens to be an Arab area, not Persian. Khuzestan is Arab, has been loyal to Iran, fought with Iran not Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. This is a potential source of dissension. I would be amazed if there isn't an attempt going on to stir up secessionist elements in Khuzestan.”

Ifs World Has Beens War Happens Would Be Source Elements Majors Resources Areas Iraq Oil Accidents Iran Loyal Amazed Geography Iraq War Persian Dissension

Author:Noam Chomsky

About the Author

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

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