Noam Chomsky
freedom of expression free speech
“If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.”
—Noam Chomsky
educational system
“The whole educational and professional training system is a very elaborate filter, which just weeds out people who are too independent, and who think for themselves, and who don't know how to be submissive, and so on — because they're dysfunctional to the institutions.”
—Noam Chomsky
smart way to keep people passive and obedient
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum....”
—Noam Chomsky
responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth
“It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies.”
― Noam Chomsky
system of imposed ignorance.
“Education is a system of imposed ignorance.”
― Noam Chomsky
radical Islam independence
“It's not radical Islam that worries the US — it's independence”
― Noam Chomsky
control all the people
“The more you can increase fear of drugs, crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all of the people.”
― Noam Chomsky
Neoliberal democracy
“Neoliberal democracy. Instead of citizens, it produces consumers. Instead of communities, it produces shopping malls. The net result is an atomized society of disengaged individuals who feel demoralized and socially powerless.
In sum, neoliberalism is the immediate and foremost enemy of genuine participatory democracy, not just in the United States but across the planet, and will be for the foreseeable future.”
― Noam Chomsky
political campaigns
“It is important to bear in mind that political campaigns are designed by the same people who sell toothpaste and cars.”
― Noam Chomsky
terrorism terror they we
“It's only terrorism if they do it to us. When we do much worse to them, it's not terrorism.”
― Noam Chomsky
Education
“ Education must provide the opportunities for self-fulfillment; it can at best provide a rich and challenging environment for the individual to explore, in his own way.”
― Noam Chomsky
Government Propagandist
“No honest journalist should be willing to describe himself or herseif as 'embedded.' To say, 'I'm an embedded journalist' is to say, 'I'm a government Propagandist.”
- Noam Chomsky
learn human life novel psychology
"We will always learn more about human life and human personality from novels than from scientific psychology".
—Noam Chomsky
population passive apathetic consumerism hatred power
"As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome."
—Noam Chomsky
truth pour brain find out yourself
"Nobody is going to pour truth into your brain. It's something you have to find out for yourself."
—Noam Chomsky
control media mind public
"He who controls the media controls the minds of the public."
—Noam Chomsky
jingoism racism fear policy masses crush
"…jingoism, racism, fear, religious fundamentalism: these are the ways of appealing to people if you’re trying to organize a mass base of support for policies that are really intended to crush them."
—Noam Chomsky
worry terrorism stop easy way participate
"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
—Noam Chomsky
repeat conventional doctrine trur truth Neptune
"Either you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound like it's from Neptune."
—Noam Chomsky
rational fascist dictatorship American system USA
"I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose the American system."
—Noam Chomsky
Nuremberg law post-war American president hanged
"If the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged."
—Noam Chomsky
choose world comfort illusion
"If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion."
—Noam Chomsky
terminal phase human existence democracy freedom survival
"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
propaganda democracy bludgeon totalitarian state dictatorship
"Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state."
—Noam Chomsky
states moral agent people impose powerful institution
"States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions."
—Noam Chomsky
resistance hero obligation american hegemony USA
"Resistance is feasible even for those who are not heroes by nature, and it is an obligation, I believe, for those who fear the consequences and detest the reality of the attempt to impose American hegemony."
—Noam Chomsky
terrorism stop participate
“Everyone’s worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there’s really an easy way: Stop participating in it.”
― Noam Chomsky
look ing for heroes good ideas
"We shouldn’t be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas."
—Noam Chomsky
NATO exist problem create existence
"NATO exists to deal with the problems created by its existence."
—Noam Chomsky
government citizen enemy
"Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy."
—Noam Chomsky