Action Quotes by Noam Chomsky

These are questions for action, not speculation, which is idle.

— Noam Chomsky

“I do not feel that we should set up people as “models”; rather actions, thoughts, principles.”

— Noam Chomsky

The people I find most impressive are generally unknown at the time of their actions and forgotten in history.

— Noam Chomsky

I know of people whose actions and words I admire and respect. Some are called "intellectuals," some are not.

— Noam Chomsky

As soon as questions of will or decision or reason or choice of action arise, human science is at a loss.

— Noam Chomsky

You are responsible for the predictable consequences of your actions.

— Noam Chomsky

The United States is a violent military state. It's been involved in military action all over the place.

— Noam Chomsky

It is a virtual reflex for governments to plead security concerns when they undertake any controversial action, often as a pretext for…

— Noam Chomsky

Right now, huge numbers of people cannot obtain even drinking water, and the situation is likely to become worse with predicted climate…

— Noam Chomsky

We have to be irrational and vindictive, because that's going to frighten people. And we have to maintain this for years. And…

— Noam Chomsky

Putting it in plain terms, the general public must be reduced to its traditional apathy and obedience, and driven from the arena…

— Noam Chomsky

Intellectuals are in a position to expose the lies of governments, to analyze actions according to their causes and motives and often…

— Noam Chomsky

A dramatic, evocative, thoughtful and very accessible account of one of the most important stories of the century - and one of…

— Noam Chomsky

Radical Islamist extremists surely hope that an attack on Iraq will kill many people and destroy much of the country, providing recruits…

— Noam Chomsky

[Antonio] Gramsci's words and actions explain their assessment, though I think we should refrain from using the term "model intellectual" for him…

— Noam Chomsky

Reparations - not just aid - should be provided by those responsible for devastating Iraqi civilian society by cruel sanctions and military…

— Noam Chomsky

People have to be atomized and segregated and alone. They're not supposed to organize, because then they might be something beyond spectators…

— Noam Chomsky

One can contrive a religious motivation for virtually any choice of action, from commitment to the highest ideals to support for the…

— Noam Chomsky

Even in a largely depoliticized society such as the United States, with no political parties or opposition press beyond the narrow spectrum…

— Noam Chomsky

The lessons are, unfortunately, that a small weak country that is facing an extremely hostile and very violent superpower will not make…

— Noam Chomsky

The crimes against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and elsewhere, particularly Lebanon, are so shocking that the only emotionally valid reaction is…

— Noam Chomsky

Latin America is now exploring new and often promising paths in rejecting the doctrinal notions of "globalization," and also in the remarkable…

— Noam Chomsky

As for climate change, it's by now widely accepted by the scientific community that we have entered a new geological era, the…

— Noam Chomsky

One of the Christian fundamentalists' goals seems to be to rebuild the Temple, which means destroying the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which presumably means…

— Noam Chomsky

Regulate the banks, get money out of elections; raise the minimum wage, environmental issues. They're all very important and the Occupy movement…

— Noam Chomsky

U.S. domestic drug policy does not carry out its stated goals, and policymakers are well aware of that. If it isn't about…

— Noam Chomsky

Take, say, the solidarity movement in Central America, which I think is what you probably had in mind. To a large extent,…

— Noam Chomsky

Occupy was not a movement, it was a tactic. You can't sit forever in a park near Wall Street. You can't do…

— Noam Chomsky

On nuclear war, actions in Syria and at the Russian border raise very serious threats of confrontation that might trigger war, an…

— Noam Chomsky

Nothing can justify crimes such as those of September 11, but we can think of the United States as an innocent victim…

— Noam Chomsky

Of course all such conclusions about appropriate actions against the rich and powerful are based on a fundamental flaw: This is us,…

— Noam Chomsky

In Kosovo, the U.S. has chosen a course of action that escalates atrocities and violence. It is also a course of action…

— Noam Chomsky

It's not a matter of public relations and rhetorical style but of actions. It's the actions and policies under George W.Bush administration…

— Noam Chomsky

Why not stakeholder action? There's no economic principal that says that management should be responsive to shareholders, in fact you can read…

— Noam Chomsky

Should people be mere "interested spectators of action," not "participants," restricted to lending their weight periodically to one or another sector of…

— Noam Chomsky

Stock ownership in the US is very highly concentrated. [Shareholder actions are] something, but it's like the old Communist Party in the…

— Noam Chomsky

Look at the ozone story. As long as it was the southern hemisphere that was being threatened, there was very little talk…

— Noam Chomsky

It is one thing for the institution to offer space for serious engagement, in thought and action, and to encourage free and…

— Noam Chomsky

Right now, where do we stand? Well right at the Russian border, both sides have been taking provocative actions, both sides are…

— Noam Chomsky

U.S. international and security policy ... has as its primary goal the preservationof what we might call the Fifth Freedom, understood crudely…

— Noam Chomsky