Noam Chomsky Quotes — Page 28

Linguist, Philosopher, Activist

Funny

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

Quality Growth Gone

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Noam Chomsky

Linguist, Philosopher, Activist

Courageous

“What can one say about a country where a museum of science in a great city can feature an exhibit in which people fire machine guns from a helicopter at Vietnamese huts, with a light flashing when a hit is scored? What can one say about a country where such an idea can even be considered? You have to weep for this country.”

Country War Gun

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Courageous

“The atrocities in Cambodia are a direct and understandable response to the violence of the imperial system.”

War Violence Atrocities

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Angry

“Some kind of settlement in Kashmir is crucial for both countries [Pakistan and India]. It's also tearing India apart with horrible atrocities in the region which is controlled by Indian armed forces.”

Country India Atrocities

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Wise

“If kids are studying for a test, they're not going to learn anything. We all know that from our own experience.”

Kids Study Tests

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Courageous

“Barack Obama is an opportunist, mostly supported by the financial institutions. He had no positions on anything. He's very intelligent. If you look at his program, almost no substance. Change, hope, what's that? I mean, he had some policies, but it was almost certain that he would give them up instantly, which he did.”

Mean Giving Intelligent

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Courageous

“You don't have any other society where the educated classes are so effectively indoctrinated and controlled by a subtle propaganda system - a private system including media, intellectual opinion forming magazines and the participation of the most highly educated sections of the population. Such people ought to be referred to as "Commissars - for that is what their essential function is - to set up and maintain a system of doctrines and beliefs which will undermine independent thought and prevent a proper understanding and analysis of national and global institutions, issues, and policies".”

Issues Truth Independent

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Courageous

“It's very common for the victims to understand a system better than the people who are holding the stick.”

People War Sticks

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Philosophical

“I suppose frogs pay no attention to being frogs. They take it for granted. What interests a frog are differences among frogs. From our point of view they are more or less the same, from their point of view they are all radically different.”

Different Differences Views

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Philosophical

“States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions.”

People Powerful Hero

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Philosophical

“The "prophets" were what we would call dissident intellectuals. They provided critical geopolitical analysis, condemned the crimes of the powerful, called for justice and mercy for those who needed help, etc. I wouldn't personally endorse everything they said, any more than I would for critics of power and its crimes today. But rather generally I think they played an honorable role - and suffered accordingly.”

Thinking Powerful Justice

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Philosophical

“Language etches the grooves through which your thoughts must flow.”

Language Flow Groove

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