Noam Chomsky Quotes

In 1963, the U.N. Security Council declared a voluntary arms embargo on South Africa. That was extended to a mandatory embargo in 1977. And that was followed by economic sanctions and other measures – sometimes officials, countries, cities, towns – some organized by popular movements.

As soon as questions of will or decision or reason or choice of action arise, human science is at a loss.

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.

Dissident intellectuals aren’t all beautiful.

Civil disobedience’s main goal typically is to try to arouse and inspire others to join and do something. Well, sometimes that is a good tactic, sometimes not.

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.

The internet could be a very positive step towards education, organisation and participation in a meaningful society.

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.

Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.

Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below.

You go back to the 17th century, the commercial and industrial centers of the world were China and India.

In the literal sense, there has been no relevant evolution since the trek from Africa. But there has been substantial progress towards higher standards of rights, justice and freedom – along with all too many illustrations of how remote is the goal of a decent society.

To some degree it matters who’s in office, but it matters more how much pressure they’re under from the public.

State formation has been a brutal project, with many hideous consequences. But the results exist, and their pernicious aspects should be overcome.