Citizens Quote by Noam Chomsky
“Anyone who studies declassified documents soon becomes aware that government secrecy is largely an effort to protect policy makers from scrutiny by citizens, not to protect the country from enemies.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Manufacturing Consent, Noam Chomsky, 1988
Government secrecy mainly shields policymakers from public scrutiny rather than defending the nation.
In simple terms: Secrecy protects leaders, not the country.
Key Takeaway
Question transparency.
Themes
politics
power
media
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- journalism
- activism
- policy analysis
- citizen oversight
Key Concepts
surveillance
accountability
public trust
Questions to Reflect On
- How does secrecy affect democratic accountability?
- When is secrecy justified?
A Different Perspective
Secrecy can also protect genuine national security interests.
![“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)
