A similar denial is evident in the rhetoric of Noam Chomsky; prodded for commentary on the war, he recites a litany of past American wrongdoing as if that somehow banishes the question of how soon Saddam Hussein will have nuclear weapons and what he will do with them when he gets them. --Eric S. Raymond, September 13, 2002 [263]
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker claims Chomsky uses past American wrongs to avoid answering questions about future nuclear threats.
- In plain terms
- Focusing on past mistakes does not solve future threats.
- What can you take from it?
- Address future risks directly instead of dwelling on the past.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should we discuss war?
Another view
Context from the past is often relevant to understanding current conflicts.
More from Noam Chomsky
I don't have as complete and overall philosophy as he does. I agree with some of the things he says. I've seen things that he said that I didn't agree with. Bu…
Permalink to quote #281 People are wasting time on dissident relics like Noam Chomsky. Professor Chomsky is a pretty good dissident: he's persistent, he means what he says, and he's c…
Permalink to quote #283 Neither Chomsky nor Church would make my top ten list. No, I don't actually have such a list, but my feeling is that their impact has been more on what is taug…
Permalink to quote #280
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