There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
As international support for Obama's decision to attack Syria has collapsed, along with the credibility of government claims, the administration has fallen back on a standard pretext for war crimes when all else fails: the credibility of the threats of the self-designated policeman of the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote criticizes the use of war justifications that rely on international credibility, highlighting the failure of government claims.
Noam Chomsky emphasizes the decline of international support for military action, specifically referencing the credibility issues surrounding the U.S. government's justifications for attacking Syria. He suggests that when all reasonable arguments collapse, the government resorts to glorifying its role as a global authority, which he argues is a flawed rationale for warfare and a tactic commonly employed in justifying aggressive actions.
Themes
WarCredibilityGovernmentInternationalSupport
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on foreign policy, one might use this quote to illustrate the risks of military intervention.
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