Able Quote by Noam Chomsky
![“[Barack] Obama was reaching a point [with Syria bombing] where he might not have been able to carry it off.He was losing support internally, and was compelled to send the vote to Congress, and it looked as if he was going to be defeated, which would have been a very serious blow to his presidency…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f65/noam-chomsky-42_able_barack-obama-was-reaching-a-point-with-s_1066059.jpg)
“[Barack] Obama was reaching a point [with Syria bombing] where he might not have been able to carry it off.He was losing support internally, and was compelled to send the vote to Congress, and it looked as if he was going to be defeated, which would have been a very serious blow to his presidency, to his authority.”
About This Quote
Chomsky describes Obama facing internal opposition and congressional pressure over Syria, risking defeat and a serious blow to his authority.
In simple terms: Obama risked losing authority over Syria due to lack of support.
Key Takeaway
Build broad consensus before critical decisions.
Themes
politics
authority
conflict
decisionmaking
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- presidential leadership
- military intervention
- public opinion
Key Concepts
foreign policy
legislative dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders balance internal and external pressures?
- What alternatives exist when consensus is lacking?
A Different Perspective
Complexities of foreign policy may limit simple solutions.
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![“US government policies are continuing to do exactly the same thing [produce terrorism]. Two days after the Boston marathon bombings, there was a drone strike in Yemen attacking a peaceful village, which killed a target who could very easily have been apprehended. But of course it is just easier to…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/641/noam-chomsky-42_attacking_us-government-policies-are-continuing-to_926624.jpg)
![“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)
