There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
The good news from the U.S. military survey of focus groups is that Iraqis do accept the Nuremberg principles. They understand that sectarian violence and the other postwar horrors are contained within the supreme international crime committed by the invaders.
Interpretation
The quote highlights Iraqis' understanding of their situation in relation to international law and the consequences of occupation.
Noam Chomsky's quote reflects on the Iraqi people's acceptance of the Nuremberg principles, indicating their awareness of the injustices inflicted upon them by invaders. It suggests that they recognize the postwar sectarian violence as a direct result of the supreme international crimes committed through the act of invasion, tying their suffering to broader concepts of justice and accountability.
In practice
During a discussion on international law and war ethics, this quote can be used to illustrate the implications of military interventions.
There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.
The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
He was a great thundering paradox of a man.
We must stress that the basis for our faith is neither experience nor emotion but the truth as God has given it in verbalized, prepositional form in the Scripture and which we first of all apprehend with our minds.
[I]t seems to me as clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime.
All the papers that matter live off their advertisements, and the advertisers exercise an indirect censorship over news.
Sin is cruelty and injustice, all else is peccadillo. Oh, a sense of sin comes from violating the customs of your tribe. But breaking custom is not sin even when it feels so; sin is wronging another person.
I'm not much but I'm all I have.
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