...the problem lies in Chomsky's description of Serb atrocities as 'quite real' and 'often ghastly'. 'Quite real ' is a cop-out for very real. Atrocities 'sharply escalated' after Nato's bombardment, he says, but does not explain what these were: mass executions, rape, torture. The index refers to 'atrocities' in Africa, Columbia, East Timor and Turkey without the appearance of 'Serbia'. --Robert Fisk, December 15, 1999 [200]
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Fisk criticizes Chomsky for downplaying Serbian atrocities while detailing other global atrocities.
- In plain terms
- Fisk says Chomsky downplays Serbian atrocities compared to others.
- What can you take from it?
- Consistency in condemning atrocities is essential for moral credibility.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you apply moral standards consistently?
- Is Chomsky being fair here?
Another view
Chomsky may have had different reasons for his language.
More from Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky, who is an inexhaustible fount of anticommunist caricatures, offers this comment about Leninism: 'Western and also Third World intellectuals were …
Permalink to quote #218 There's a humbling insight into the US pretension of occupying the moral high ground in Chomsky's work. Part of what he's saying is true. Objectively viewed, t…
Permalink to quote #220 Unlike many leftists of his generation, Chomsky never flirted with movements or organizations that were later revealed to be totalitarian, oppressive, exclusio…
Permalink to quote #217
Related quotes
The truth about Kolchak (and his double, Denikin) has now been revealed in full. The shooting of tens of thousands of workers. The shooting even of Mensheviks …
Vladimir LeninVladimir Lenin quote #53 Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance.
Sam BrownSam Brown quote #1 [T]he Jewish people were driven by their drunkenness and plumpness to the ultimate evil; they kicked about, they failed to accept the yoke of Christ, nor did t…
John ChrysostomJohn Chrysostom quote #1