Administration Quote by Noam Chomsky
“As international support for Obama's decision to attack Syria has collapsed, along with the credibility of government claims, the administration has fallen back on a standard pretext for war crimes when all else fails: the credibility of the threats of the self-designated policeman of the world.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on US foreign policy, 2013
The US government uses the pretense of protecting global security to justify military actions, even when evidence is weak, undermining credibility.
In simple terms: Government claims of security are used to justify war despite weak evidence.
Key Takeaway
Question the legitimacy of security pretexts.
Themes
politics
war
media
ethics
power
Mood
skeptical
critical
concerned
Type
political
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- journalism
- activism
- academic debate
Key Concepts
realism
propaganda
sovereignty
moral hazard
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we differentiate genuine threats from pretexts?
- What mechanisms can hold governments accountable?
A Different Perspective
The argument may overlook legitimate security concerns that require action.
![“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)
