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On May 27, the New York Times published one of the most incredible sentences I've ever seen. They ran an article about the Nixon-Kissinger interchanges. Kissinger fought very hard through the courts to try to prevent it, but the courts permitted it. You read through it, and you see the following statement embedded in it. Nixon at one point informs Kissinger, his right-hand Eichmann, that he wanted bombing of Cambodia. And Kissinger loyally transmits the order to the Pentagon to carry out 'a massive bombing campaign in Cambodia. Anything that flies on anything that moves.' That is the most explicit call for what we call genocide when other people do it that I've ever seen in the historical record. Right at this moment there is a prosecution of Milosevic going on in the international tribunal, and the prosecutors are kind of hampered because they can't find direct orders, or a direct connection even, linking Milosevic to any atrocities on the ground. Suppose they found a statement like this. Suppose a document came out from Milosevic saying, 'Reduce Kosovo to rubble. Anything that flies on anything that moves.' They would be overjoyed. The trial would be over. He would be sent away for multiple life sentences - if it was a U.S. trial, immediately the electric chair.

Noam Chomsky#124

WarHistoryJusticeGenocide

About this quote

What does it mean?
The author cites a historical document showing a US order for massive bombing in Cambodia, comparing it to genocide charges against others.
In plain terms
A document showed a US order to bomb everything in Cambodia, similar to genocide claims.
What can you take from it?
Historical records may show state actions similar to those prosecuted in others.

Where it applies

  • historical research
  • legal comparison

Putting it to work

  • review historical documents
  • study war crimes

Questions to consider

  • What constitutes genocide in war?
  • How do we judge past military actions?

Another view

Labeling the bombing as genocide is a specific legal interpretation.

More from Noam Chomsky

  1. If the Nuremberg laws were applied, then every post-war American president would have been hanged.

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  2. Clinton, Kennedy, they all carried out mass murder, but they didn't think that that was what they were doing - nor does Bush. You know, they were defending jus…

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  3. An extensive and detailed poll was released by ABC, BBC, and Japan's NHK, on September 10. The media had to labor overtime to keep it out of sight, because it …

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