In fact, Chomsky's influence is best understood not as that of an intellectual figure, but as the leader of a secular religious cult - as the ayatollah of anti-American hate. --David Horowitz, September 26, 2001 [242]
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker views Chomsky not as a standard intellectual but as a cult leader promoting hatred against America.
- In plain terms
- Chomsky is compared to a religious leader of hate rather than a thinker.
- What can you take from it?
- Intellectual influence can resemble religious devotion.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does influence become a cult?
- What is anti-Americanism?
Another view
Comparing an intellectual to a cult leader is hyperbolic.
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