--- title: "7 Decades Quotes By Noam Chomsky" description: "7 Decades quotes by Noam Chomsky. Plus more from Noam Chomsky and more Decades sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/noam-chomsky-42_african-american_you-take-a-look-at-the-history-of-africa_54134.jpg" --- > [You take a look at the history of African Americans in the US. There's been about thirty years of relative freedom. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/you-take-a-look-at-the-history-of-african-americans-in-the-us-there-s/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/noam-chomsky-42_african-american_you-take-a-look-at-the-history-of-africa_54134.jpg) > [When leaders carry out policies for decades that have no consequences for the stated goal and are very costly, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/when-leaders-carry-out-policies-for-decades-that-have-no-consequences/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/noam-chomsky-42_asks_when-leaders-carry-out-policies-for-deca_379918.jpg) > [I've spent a lot of time working on declassified documents - and they do get declassified after decades - you look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-time-working-on-declassified-documents-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c58/noam-chomsky-42_concerned_i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-time-working-on-decl_935107.jpg) > [South America has virtually broken away in the last decade. That's an event of historic significance. South America just doesn't follow US…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/south-america-has-virtually-broken-away-in-the-last-decade-that-s-an/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/noam-chomsky-42_america_south-america-has-virtually-broken-away_1759779.jpg) > [In a capitalist system, there's a principle that if you invest, especially in a long-term risky investment, if something comes out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-a-capitalist-system-there-s-a-principle-that-if-you-invest/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10a/noam-chomsky-42_assuming_in-a-capitalist-system-there-s-a-princip_1792877.jpg) > [For decades Israel has been capturing, and kidnapping Lebanese and Palestinian refugees on the high seas, from Cyprus to Lebanon, killing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/for-decades-israel-has-been-capturing-and-kidnapping-lebanese-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/noam-chomsky-42_cyprus_for-decades-israel-has-been-capturing-an_3039249.jpg) > [Syria is bad enough, it's a pretty terrible atrocity. But there are much worse ones in the world. So for example, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/syria-is-bad-enough-it-s-a-pretty-terrible-atrocity-but-there-are/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/noam-chomsky-42_atrocities_syria-is-bad-enough-it-s-a-pretty-terrib_3145189.jpg) ## Other authors on Decades ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/noam-chomsky/#itemlist", "name": "7 Decades Quotes By Noam Chomsky", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You take a look at the history of African Americans in the US. There's been about thirty years of relative freedom. 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It's mostly defense of the power system from its own population. 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That's an event of historic significance. South America just doesn't follow US orders. In fact there isn't a single US military base left there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/south-america-has-virtually-broken-away-in-the-last-decade-that-s-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/noam-chomsky-42_america_south-america-has-virtually-broken-away_1759779.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/noam-chomsky-42_america_south-america-has-virtually-broken-away_1759779.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ea/noam-chomsky-42_america_south-america-has-virtually-broken-away_1759779.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“South America has virtually broken away in the last decade. That's an event of historic significance. 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It's been going on for decades, has anybody called for an invasion of Israel?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/for-decades-israel-has-been-capturing-and-kidnapping-lebanese-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/noam-chomsky-42_cyprus_for-decades-israel-has-been-capturing-an_3039249.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/noam-chomsky-42_cyprus_for-decades-israel-has-been-capturing-an_3039249.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff2/noam-chomsky-42_cyprus_for-decades-israel-has-been-capturing-an_3039249.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For decades Israel has been capturing, and kidnapping Lebanese and Palestinian refugees on the high seas…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Syria is bad enough, it's a pretty terrible atrocity. But there are much worse ones in the world. So for example, the worst atrocities in the past decade have been in the Congo, the Eastern Congo, where maybe 5 million people have been killed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/syria-is-bad-enough-it-s-a-pretty-terrible-atrocity-but-there-are/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/noam-chomsky-42_atrocities_syria-is-bad-enough-it-s-a-pretty-terrib_3145189.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/noam-chomsky-42_atrocities_syria-is-bad-enough-it-s-a-pretty-terrib_3145189.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/037/noam-chomsky-42_atrocities_syria-is-bad-enough-it-s-a-pretty-terrib_3145189.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Syria is bad enough, it's a pretty terrible atrocity. But there are much worse ones in the world. 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