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When Rumsfeld gets up on television and says we have definitive intelligence that al Qaeda is working with Iraq, how is an ordinary citizen supposed to react? They won't tell you the evidence, and when anyone asks, they say, 'Well, you know: It's secret.'
Noam Chomsky
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights the challenge of trusting government claims without transparency.

Noam Chomsky's quote reflects on the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens when presented with government assertions, particularly regarding serious accusations like those involving national security. It underscores the frustration that arises when evidence is withheld under the pretext of secrecy, leaving the public to navigate complex narratives without the necessary information to critically assess the truth behind such claims.

Themes

GovernmentTransparencyTrustIntelligenceCitizenSecrecy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about government accountability at a town hall meeting.

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