Attention Quote by Noam Chomsky
“If there are dollars to be made, you destroy the environment. The reason is elementary. The people who are going to be harmed by this are your grandchildren and they don't have any votes in the market. Their interests are worth zero. Anybody that pays attention to their grandchildren's interests is being irrational. Because what you're supposed to do is maximize your own interests, measured by wealth, right now. Nothing else matters. So destroying the environment and militarizing outer space are rational policies, but within a framework of institutional lunacy.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on environmental ethics, 2010
Prioritizing short‑term profit harms future generations, whose voices are ignored in markets, revealing irrationality in current policies.
In simple terms: Profit over future harms the vulnerable.
Key Takeaway
Consider long‑term impacts.
Themes
ethics
environment
economics
future generations
policy
irrationality
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
ethical
political
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- government regulation
- investment decisions
Key Concepts
sustainability
intergenerational justice
Questions to Reflect On
- What policies could give grandchildren a voice?
- How can markets value future wellbeing?
A Different Perspective
Short‑term gains often ignore long‑term costs.
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