There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
Spaniards were condemned for appeasing terrorism by voting for withdrawing troops from Iraq in the absence of U.N. authorization - that is, for taking a stand rather like that of 70 percent of Americans, who called for the U.N. to take the leading role in Iraq.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the response to terrorism and questions the justification of political decisions based on public opinion.
Noam Chomsky highlights a moral and philosophical dilemma regarding the actions taken by governments in response to terrorism. He argues that the criticism directed at Spaniards for their decision to withdraw troops from Iraq reflects a broader inconsistency in moral judgment, as a significant portion of Americans shared similar views advocating for U.N. involvement. This underscores the complexities of political decisions influenced by public sentiment and the ethical considerations behind them.
Themes
TerrorismPhilosophyPoliticsPublic OpinionIraqMorality
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on military intervention, one might quote Chomsky to illustrate the importance of public opinion in foreign policy.
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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.
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