244 Noam Chomsky Quotes for You to Enjoy

Noam Chomsky

American Activist

Born: Dec 7, 1928

American Been People War World You

Related authors: Angela Davis Cesar Chavez Elizabeth Cady Stanton Gloria Steinem Harriet Tubman Malcolm X Sojourner Truth Susan B. Anthony

There's a lot of fuss on the Left about election irregularities, like, you know, the voting machines were tampered with, they didn't count the votes right, and so on. That's all accurate and of some importance, but of far more importance is the fact that elections just don't take place, not in any meaningful sense of the term 'election.' Noam Chomsky

You Voting Election Sense Machines Fuss Some About More Fact Take Count Term Like Votes Importance Know Tampered Were Lot Left Accurate Any Just Place Far Meaningful Elections Right

Some may remember, if you have good memories, that there used to be a concept in Anglo-American law called a presumption of innocence, innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Now that's so deep in history that there's no point even bringing it up, but it did once exist. Noam Chomsky

Good History You Memories Law Remember Innocent Innocence Once Guilty Presumption Some No Point Point Concept Until Court Proven Exist Up Did May Used Deep Even Now Bringing

The United States is unusual among the industrial democracies in the rigidity of the system of ideological control - 'indoctrination', we might say - exercised through the mass media. Noam Chomsky

Democracy Control Say States System Rigidity Through Indoctrination Mass Mass Media Industrial Ideological Unusual Might Media United United States Among

With the development of industrial capitalism, a new and unanticipated system of injustice, it is libertarian socialism that has preserved and extended the radical humanist message of the Enlightenment and the classical liberal ideals that were perverted into an ideology to sustain the emerging social order. Noam Chomsky

Capitalism Injustice Socialism Ideology Radical Preserved Liberal Libertarian System Classical Emerging Development New Ideals Industrial Message Were Sustain Order Social Social Order Extended Humanist Enlightenment

For a privileged minority, Western democracy provides the leisure, the facilities, and the training to seek the truth lying hidden behind the veil of distortion and misrepresentation, ideology and class interest, through which the events of current history are presented to us. Noam Chomsky

Truth Democracy History Class Training Events Minority Ideology Lying Hidden Distortion Seek Facilities Through Veil Provides Western Privileged Current Behind Leisure Which Interest Us Presented

All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume. Noam Chomsky

Culture People Pressure System Constant Propaganda Only Consume Feel Over Make Role Place Decisions Popular Popular Culture Helpless

In this possibly terminal phase of human existence, democracy and freedom are more than just ideals to be valued - they may be essential to survival. Noam Chomsky

Freedom Democracy Survival Valued Possibly More Terminal Ideals Existence Than Essential May Human Just Human Existence Phase

Two days after the Boston marathon bombings, there was a drone strike in Yemen attacking a peaceful village, which killed a target who could very easily have been apprehended. But, of course, it is just easier to terrorise people. The drones are a terrorist weapon; they not only kill targets but also terrorise other people. Noam Chomsky

People Other Strike Easier Easily Weapon Only Boston Attacking Could Drones Days Also Course Terrorist Been Yemen Target Very Targets Just After Which Who Village Peaceful Marathon Two

The elections are run by the same industries that sell toothpaste on television. Noam Chomsky

Toothpaste Television Run Industries Sell Same Elections

You never need an argument against the use of violence, you need an argument for it. Noam Chomsky

You Argument Never Against Use Violence Need

It's perfectly obvious that there is some genetic factor that distinguishes humans from other animals and that it is language-specific. The theory of that genetic component, whatever it turns out to be, is what is called universal grammar. Noam Chomsky

Animals Whatever Other Distinguishes Out Component Some Factor Perfectly Genetic Obvious Grammar Turns Theory Universal Humans

The Internet has compromised the quality of debate. Noam Chomsky

Quality Debate Internet Compromised

Governments are not representative. They have their own power, serving segments of the population that are dominant and rich. Noam Chomsky

Power Own Rich Segments Governments Dominant Representative Population Serving

In the early 1940s, as a young teenager, I was utterly appalled by the racist and jingoist hysteria of the anti-Japanese propaganda. The Germans were evil, but treated with some respect: They were, after all, blond Aryan types, just like our imaginary self-image. Japanese were mere vermin, to be crushed like ants. Noam Chomsky

Respect Evil Crushed Young Teenager Types Our Some Propaganda Hysteria Mere Like Self-Image Vermin Were Blond Germans Ants Just After Japanese Appalled Utterly Early Imaginary Treated

There's a tremendous gap between public opinion and public policy. Noam Chomsky

Tremendous Between Policy Opinion Public Public Opinion Public Policy Gap

If you're working 50 hours a week to try to maintain family income, and your children have the kinds of aspirations that come from being flooded with television from age one, and associations have declined, people end up hopeless, even though they have every option. Noam Chomsky

Family You Age People Try Hopeless Every Television Though Kinds Week Maintain Come Hours End Up Option Being Children Declined Working Your Aspirations Even Flooded Income Associations

In the late 19th century there was a major union organization, Knights of Labor, and also a radical populist movement based on farmers. It's hard to believe, but it was based in Texas, and it was quite radical. They wanted their own banks, their own cooperatives, their own control over sales and commerce. Noam Chomsky

Organization Own Control Radical Believe Late Knights Over Major Also Sales Texas Labor Commerce Quite Movement Wanted Banks Century Hard Farmers Union Populist Based

Rational discussion is useful only when there is a significant base of shared assumptions. Noam Chomsky

Assumptions Significant Only Rational Shared Discussion Useful Base

China is a great manufacturing center, but it's actually mostly an assembly plant. So it assembles parts and components, high technology that comes from the surrounding industrial - more advanced industrial centers - Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, Europe - and it basically assembles them. Noam Chomsky

Great Technology Plant States High Components More Taiwan Advanced Industrial Singapore Mostly Parts Korea South South Korea Surrounding Center Centers China Japan Them Manufacturing Europe Assembly United United States Actually Basically

The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore. Noam Chomsky

Political Party Become Extreme Traditional Political Party Anymore Republican Republican Party Hardly

In 1993, Israel and North Korea were moving towards an agreement in which North Korea would stop sending any missiles or military technology to the Middle East and Israel would recognize that country. President Clinton intervened and blocked it. Noam Chomsky

Technology Country Military President Intervened President Clinton Recognize East Would Towards Missiles Korea Israel Blocked Were Clinton North North Korea Sending Any Stop Middle Middle East Which Moving Agreement

Success Time Long Met Control Society Considerable Way Though About More Struggles Long Way Over Attitudes Freer Massive Opinion Go However Been Efforts Often Just Repression Regression Popular Even Bring Violence Resisted

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