--- title: "10 Union Quotes By Noam Chomsky" description: "10 Union quotes by Noam Chomsky. Plus more from Noam Chomsky and more Union sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/598/noam-chomsky-42_actually_there-has-been-a-huge-attack-against-pri_1270831.jpg" --- > [There has been a huge attack against private sector unions. Actually, that's been going on since the Second World War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-has-been-a-huge-attack-against-private-sector-unions-actually/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/598/noam-chomsky-42_actually_there-has-been-a-huge-attack-against-pri_1270831.jpg) > [ The attack on unions has been far more extreme here \[in U.S\], and it has been much more successful. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-extreme-here-in-u-s-and-it-has/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg) > [Labor # Unions are the leading force for # democratization and # progress .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/labor-unions-are-the-leading-force-for-democratization-and-progress/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/089/noam-chomsky-42_democratization_labor-unions-are-the-leading-force-for-d_676933.jpg) > [ Anti-union propaganda has been considerably more successful here \[ in the U.S.\] than in Europe, even among working people who would benefit… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anti-union-propaganda-has-been-considerably-more-successful-here-in/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/noam-chomsky-42_benefits_anti-union-propaganda-has-been-considera_970175.jpg) > [NATO was constructed on the - with the reason, whether one believes it or not, that it was going to defend Western…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-reason-whether-one-believes-it/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/noam-chomsky-42_assault_nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-rea_407339.jpg) > [ The literature is like that - they \[unions\] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose, and how to control… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions-are-constantly-talking-about/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg) > [“A sit-down strike is just one step short of saying, “Look, instead of sitting down, we’ll run this place. We don’t need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short-of-saying-look-instead-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/noam-chomsky-42_management_a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short_1558421.jpg) > [Policies are designed to undermine working class organization and the reason is not only the unions fight for workers' rights, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/policies-are-designed-to-undermine-working-class-organization-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/noam-chomsky-42_class_policies-are-designed-to-undermine-worki_907942.jpg) > [ Private sector unionization is down to practically seven percent. Meanwhile the public sector unions have kind of sustained themselves \[even\] under attack,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-practically-seven-percent/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/noam-chomsky-42_barack_private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-p_1174817.jpg) > [In the late 19th century there was a major union organization, Knights of Labor, and also a radical populist movement based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-the-late-19th-century-there-was-a-major-union-organization-knights/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bc/noam-chomsky-42_19th-century_in-the-late-19th-century-there-was-a-maj_2009105.jpg) ## Other authors on Union ## 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/union/noam-chomsky/#itemlist", "name": "10 Union Quotes By Noam Chomsky", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There has been a huge attack against private sector unions. 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Once the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union was beginning to collapse, that reason was gone. So, first question: why does NATO exist?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-reason-whether-one-believes-it/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/noam-chomsky-42_assault_nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-rea_407339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/noam-chomsky-42_assault_nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-rea_407339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d9/noam-chomsky-42_assault_nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-rea_407339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“NATO was constructed on the - with the reason, whether one believes it or not, that it was going to defend…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The literature is like that - they [unions] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose, and how to control them. They understand what they're doing, and they're very class conscious. They press policies which work for their interests.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions-are-constantly-talking-about/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/611/noam-chomsky-42_books_the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions_1566239.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The literature is like that - they [unions] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A sit-down strike is just one step short of saying, “Look, instead of sitting down, we’ll run this place. We don’t need owners and managers.” That’s huge. That could be done in Detroit and in other places that are being closed down.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short-of-saying-look-instead-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/noam-chomsky-42_management_a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short_1558421.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/noam-chomsky-42_management_a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short_1558421.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29c/noam-chomsky-42_management_a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short_1558421.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A sit-down strike is just one step short of saying, “Look, instead of sitting down, we’ll run this place. We…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Policies are designed to undermine working class organization and the reason is not only the unions fight for workers' rights, but they also have a democratizing effect. These are institutions in which people without power can get together, support one another, learn about the world, try out their ideas, initiate programs, and that is dangerous. That's like a referendum in Greece. It is dangerous to allow that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/policies-are-designed-to-undermine-working-class-organization-and-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/noam-chomsky-42_class_policies-are-designed-to-undermine-worki_907942.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/noam-chomsky-42_class_policies-are-designed-to-undermine-worki_907942.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91a/noam-chomsky-42_class_policies-are-designed-to-undermine-worki_907942.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Policies are designed to undermine working class organization and the reason is not only the unions fight…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Private sector unionization is down to practically seven percent. Meanwhile the public sector unions have kind of sustained themselves [even] under attack, but in the last few years, there's been a sharp [increase in the] attack on public sector unions, which Barack Obama has participated in, in fact. When you freeze salaries of federal workers, that's equivalent to taxing public sector people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-practically-seven-percent/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/noam-chomsky-42_barack_private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-p_1174817.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/noam-chomsky-42_barack_private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-p_1174817.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a1/noam-chomsky-42_barack_private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-p_1174817.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Private sector unionization is down to practically seven percent. Meanwhile the public sector unions have…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the late 19th century there was a major union organization, Knights of Labor, and also a radical populist movement based on farmers. It's hard to believe, but it was based in Texas, and it was quite radical. They wanted their own banks, their own cooperatives, their own control over sales and commerce.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-the-late-19th-century-there-was-a-major-union-organization-knights/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bc/noam-chomsky-42_19th-century_in-the-late-19th-century-there-was-a-maj_2009105.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bc/noam-chomsky-42_19th-century_in-the-late-19th-century-there-was-a-maj_2009105.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bc/noam-chomsky-42_19th-century_in-the-late-19th-century-there-was-a-maj_2009105.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the late 19th century there was a major union organization, Knights of Labor, and also a radical populist…” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/union/noam-chomsky/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/union/noam-chomsky/", "name": "Union Quotes by Noam Chomsky", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/union/noam-chomsky/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/598/noam-chomsky-42_actually_there-has-been-a-huge-attack-against-pri_1270831.jpg" }, "description": "10 Union quotes by Noam Chomsky. 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