1930s Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Actually, the phrase "national security" is barely used until the 1930s. And there's a reason. By then, the United States was beginning to become global. Before that the United States had been mostly a regional power - Britain was the biggest global power. After the Second World War, national security is everywhere, because we basically owned the world, so our security is threatened everywhere. Not just on our borders, but everywhere - so you have to have a thousand military bases around the world for "defense."”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Media and Power (source unknown)
The term “national security” grew as the US became a global power, justifying worldwide military presence.
In simple terms: “National security” expanded with US global reach.
Key Takeaway
Critically assess security rhetoric.
Themes
politics
military
globalization
power
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- education
- activism
Key Concepts
imperialism
security discourse
geopolitics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does “national security” shape foreign policy?
- What alternatives exist to global militarization?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on security can suppress civil liberties.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
