“The intellectual tradition is one of servility to power, and if I didn't betray it I'd be ashamed of myself.”
Power
“The 'anti-globalisation movement' is the most significant proponent of globalisation - but in the interests of people, not concentrations of state-private power.”
PowerAll Quotes by Noam Chomsky
“As soon as questions of will or decision or reason or choice of action arise, human science is at a loss.”
Science“The only justification for repressive institutions is material and cultural deficit. But such institutions, at certain stages of history, perpetuate and produce such a deficit, and even threaten human survival.”
History“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.”
Freedom“I remember at the age of five travelling on a trolley car with my mother past a group of women on a picket line at a textile plant, seeing them being viciously beaten by security people. So that kind of thing stayed with me.”
Age“The internet could be a very positive step towards education, organisation and participation in a meaningful society.”
Education“If you are working 50 hours a week in a factory, you don't have time to read 10 newspapers a day and go back to declassified government archives. But such people may have far-reaching insights into the way the world works.”
Government“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.”
Best“Concentration of executive power, unless it's very temporary and for specific circumstances, let's say fighting world war two, it's an assault on democracy.”
Power“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.”
Fear“The Bible is one of the most genocidal books in history.”
History“Humans have certain properties and characteristics which are intrinsic to them, just as every other organism does. That's human nature.”
Nature“Wanton killing of innocent civilians is terrorism, not a war against terrorism.”
War“The public is not to see where power lies, how it shapes policy, and for what ends. Rather, people are to hate and fear one another.”
Fear“In many respects, the United States is a great country. Freedom of speech is protected more than in any other country. It is also a very free society.”
Freedom“In the late 1990s, some of the worst terrorist atrocities in the world were what the Turkish government itself called state terror, namely massive atrocities, 80 percent of the arms coming from the United States, millions of refugees, tens of thousands of people killed, hideous repression, that's international terror, and we can go on and on.”
Government“The principle that human nature, in its psychological aspects, is nothing more than a product of history and given social relations removes all barriers to coercion and manipulation by the powerful.”
History“The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all the people.”
Fear“The 'anti-globalisation movement' is the most significant proponent of globalisation - but in the interests of people, not concentrations of state-private power.”
Power“Real popular culture is folk art - coalminers' songs and so forth.”
Art