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We have a big argument here about whether Nicaragua and Cuba are sending arms to El Salvador. Well, I don't know, so far there's no evidence that they are, but that's not really the interesting question. I mean, you gotta watch the way questions are framed by the propaganda system. The way it's framed is, the doves say they're not sending arms, and the hawks say they are sending arms. But the real question, which is being suppressed in all of this, is, 'Should they be sending arms?' And the answer is of course, 'Yes.' [applause] Everybody should be sending arms. You see, that question is not raised. Just as if, somebody was talking in, say, the Soviet Union, and the question came up, 'Should somebody send arms to Afghan rebels?' Well, of course not, you know, that's terrorism or something like that. The point is that it's perfectly legitimate to send arms to people who finally try to use violence in self-defense against a gang of mass murderers installed by a foreign power. Of course it's legitimate to send them arms.

Noam Chomsky#45

WarEthicsPropagandaMilitaryResistance

About this quote

What does it mean?
The framing of political questions often suppresses the real moral issue of whether violence should be used.
In plain terms
Focus on whether arms should be sent, not who sends them.
What can you take from it?
Ask if violence is justified, not just who does it.

Where it applies

  • analyzing war coverage
  • discussing conflict
  • evaluating military aid

Putting it to work

  • reframe political questions
  • focus on moral justification
  • question narrative framing

Questions to consider

  • Should resistance ever be armed?
  • Who decides what is legitimate violence?

Another view

Sometimes practical logistics matter more than moral ideals in conflict.

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  3. There's a good reason why nobody studies history, it just teaches you too much.

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