--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A large-scale crisis - whether a…" description: "\"A large-scale crisis - whether a terrorist attack or a financial crash - would likely provide the pretext to declare some sort of state of exception or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg" --- # A large-scale crisis - whether a terrorist attack or a… ![“A large-scale crisis - whether a terrorist attack or a financial crash - would likely provide the pretext to declare some sort of state of exception or emergency, where the usual rules no longer apply.” quote by Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg) > “A large-scale crisis - whether a terrorist attack or a financial crash - would likely provide the pretext to declare some sort of state of exception or emergency, where the usual rules no longer apply.” [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Crises are exploited to suspend normal rules, allowing extraordinary powers to be taken. **In simple terms:** Crises enable extraordinary powers. Key Takeaway Question authority during emergencies. Themes politics crisis power law Mood concerned alert Type analytical critical When to use this quote - government policy - civil liberties - public health emergencies Key Concepts political theory emergency law Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards protect rights in emergencies? - How can citizens hold leaders accountable? A Different Perspective Such suspensions can erode democratic norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Crisis Terrorist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis-terrorist-6008867/) [Emergency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergency/) [Exception Emergency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exception-emergency-1470482/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Scale Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scale-crisis-6008868/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) ## Related quotes > [“Pointing to a trend in Western democracies, Agamben posits that the declaration of an emergency state of exception itself has gradually been replaced by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-de-genova/pointing-to-a-trend-in-western-democracies-agamben-posits-that-the/) [Nicholas De Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-de-genova/) > [Throughout U.S. history, national crises have been used to suspend constitutional protections and attack basic rights. After the Civil War, with the nation in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/throughout-u-s-history-national-crises-have-been-used-to-suspend/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Safe care saves lives and saves money. Adverse events like high levels of infection, blood clots or falls in hospital, emergency readmissions and pressure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lansley/safe-care-saves-lives-and-saves-money-adverse-events-like-high-levels/) [Andrew Lansley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lansley/) > [“We’re in a state of emergency Because we’re lighting fires All the way home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-re-in-a-state-of-emergency-because-we-re-lighting-fires-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We produce motor drive electronics; we produce cargo systems for large narrow-body and wide-body airplanes and, more importantly, the emergency escape chute that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-r-chenevert/we-produce-motor-drive-electronics-we-produce-cargo-systems-for-large/) [Louis R. Chenevert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-r-chenevert/) > [“This is a 911?” Adam said as he walked up. “You know you only text that when someone is dead or dying. You scared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/this-is-a-911-adam-said-as-he-walked-up-you-know-you-only-text-that/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You don't get time to meet your peers such as Dharmendra and Hema Malini very often. Award functions or other events are the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitabh-bachchan/you-don-t-get-time-to-meet-your-peers-such-as-dharmendra-and-hema/) [Amitabh Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitabh-bachchan/) > [Where Democrats have a real toehold to criticize Republicans is that families still feel very financially fragile. About 2 in 5 adults would struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lowrey/where-democrats-have-a-real-toehold-to-criticize-republicans-is-that/) [Annie Lowrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lowrey/) > [Quite simply, when D.C. Metro riders - often the first to see a problem developing - try to notify first responders, they frequently are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-o-rielly/quite-simply-when-d-c-metro-riders-often-the-first-to-see-a-problem/) [Michael O'Rielly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-o-rielly/) > [Carry always your earplugs with you in case of emergency, like meeting with a politician!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/carry-always-your-earplugs-with-you-in-case-of-emergency-like-meeting/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I started out wanting to be a fireman and would cry if my mother tried to take off my 'Emergency 51' hat, so she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-henry/i-started-out-wanting-to-be-a-fireman-and-would-cry-if-my-mother/) [Ed Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-henry/) > [It is critical that firefighters and emergency responders have the proper equipment, training and staffing to do their jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-lamb/it-is-critical-that-firefighters-and-emergency-responders-have-the/) [Conor Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-lamb/) > [In case of emergency , Break Dance!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/in-case-of-emergency-break-dance/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“HH14 - Emergency Meals”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wilson/hh14-emergency-meals/) [Benjamin Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wilson/) > [Give me an impromptu 50-person guest list, a fold-out emergency trestle table and a pack of frozen vol-au-vent cases and, darlings, I will give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/give-me-an-impromptu-50-person-guest-list-a-fold-out-emergency/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) ## More by Naomi Klein > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [As I explored Trump's inextricable relationship with his commercial brand, and its implications for the future of politics, I began to see why so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/as-i-explored-trump-s-inextricable-relationship-with-his-commercial/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Fury is an entirely appropriate response to a system that sends young people to kill other young people in a war that never should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/fury-is-an-entirely-appropriate-response-to-a-system-that-sends-young/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Since the 1980s, we've been living in this era, really, of corporate rule, based on this idea that the role of government is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/since-the-1980s-we-ve-been-living-in-this-era-really-of-corporate/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [We live in a society that is powered by fossil fuels, but for the meantime, we're in it. Maybe there's, like, five people living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/we-live-in-a-society-that-is-powered-by-fossil-fuels-but-for-the/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I can tell you Donald Trump's products may not be made in America, but Donald Trump was made in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-can-tell-you-donald-trump-s-products-may-not-be-made-in-america-but/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Africa is poor because its investors and its creditors are unspeakably rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/africa-is-poor-because-its-investors-and-its-creditors-are/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-is-a-civilizational-wake-up-call-a-powerful-message-spoken-in-the/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [“You have been negotiating all my life.” So said Canadian college student Anjali Appadurai, as she stared down the assembled government negotiators at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/you-have-been-negotiating-all-my-life-so-said-canadian-college/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [There's a property in Panama where Trump has collected somewhere around $30 million just from selling his name to this property - it's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/there-s-a-property-in-panama-where-trump-has-collected-somewhere/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [When I went to Australia, I had this feeling, like, 'Wow, this is really a different country.' I think that feeling of genuine foreignness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/when-i-went-to-australia-i-had-this-feeling-like-wow-this-is-really-a/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [I think there has been this really bad habit of environmentalists being insufferably smug, where they are sort of saying, 'This is the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-there-has-been-this-really-bad-habit-of-environmentalists/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [GLHR... has used Greenpeace-style media antics to draw more public attention to the plight of sweatshop workers than the multimillion - dollar international trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/glhr-has-used-greenpeace-style-media-antics-to-draw-more-public/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) [Explore all 291 Naomi Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More Attack quotes > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [“THE UNFORGIVEN Tell me if you've ever had to deal with these kinds of people: The kind who take and don't give. The kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/the-unforgiven-tell-me-if-you-ve-ever-had-to-deal-with-these-kinds-of/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [It was both necessary and desirable for us to be so strong at sea that no Sea Power could attack us without risk, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernhard-von-bulow/it-was-both-necessary-and-desirable-for-us-to-be-so-strong-at-sea/) [Bernhard von Bulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernhard-von-bulow/) > [The best way to counter-attack a hater is to make it blatantly obvious that their attack has had no impact on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/the-best-way-to-counter-attack-a-hater-is-to-make-it-blatantly/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [President Obama has never summarized the Obama Doctrine with such clarity, but here is what it would look like: 'I will undertake any military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/president-obama-has-never-summarized-the-obama-doctrine-with-such/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [Everything has got a place in my house. If something is moved I get a panic attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rylan-clark-neal/everything-has-got-a-place-in-my-house-if-something-is-moved-i-get-a/) [Rylan Clark-Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rylan-clark-neal/) > [I mean, it's not just the rappers, you know what i'm saying? People want to attack anybody that's a large figure, you know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-notorious-b-i-g/i-mean-it-s-not-just-the-rappers-you-know-what-i-m-saying-people-want/) [The Notorious B.I.G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-notorious-b-i-g/) > [Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/sometimes-when-you-take-a-tough-action-against-one-side-in-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [“Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/hence-when-able-to-attack-we-must-seem-unable-when-using-our-forces/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [Free speech has a very small constituency on the modern campus, particularly if the speaker under attack is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leo/free-speech-has-a-very-small-constituency-on-the-modern-campus/) [John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leo/) > [Daniil is a player who will not give you many chances to attack. If I have enough power and choose the right moment, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/daniil-is-a-player-who-will-not-give-you-many-chances-to-attack-if-i/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) > [Distributed ledgers are inherently harder to attack because instead of a single database, there are multiple shared copies of the same database, so a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walport/distributed-ledgers-are-inherently-harder-to-attack-because-instead/) [Mark Walport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walport/) > [Attack life. It's going to kill you anyways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/attack-life-it-s-going-to-kill-you-anyways/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For those of us in the political business, generally, it's been pretty much an unwritten but understood rule that family and children are out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/for-those-of-us-in-the-political-business-generally-it-s-been-pretty/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) [Browse all 1,074 Attack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A large-scale crisis - whether a terrorist attack or a financial crash - would likely provide the pretext to declare some sort of state of exception or emergency, where the usual rules no longer apply.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist-attack-or-a-financial-crash/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attack" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist-attack-or-a-financial-crash/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a2/naomi-klein-1072_attack_a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist_3212765.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A large-scale crisis - whether a terrorist attack or a financial crash - would likely provide the pretext to…” — Naomi Klein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Naomi Klein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A large-scale crisis - whether a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist-attack-or-a-financial-crash/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/a-large-scale-crisis-whether-a-terrorist-attack-or-a-financial-crash/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```