Achieve Quote by Noam Chomsky
“In Western Europe, Turkey is regarded as uncivilized, so they can't come in into the European Union until they're civilized. I think it's the other way around. If you could achieve the level of civilization of, say, Turkish intelectuals, it would be quite an achievement.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: European Politics, 2010
Challenges the notion that Turkey must “civilize” to join the EU, suggesting the EU should improve itself.
In simple terms: Civilization is a two‑way street.
Key Takeaway
Reevaluate standards.
Themes
politics
culture
EU integration
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- international relations
- public discourse
Key Concepts
civilizational standards
geopolitics
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines “civilized”?
- How can the EU reform itself?
A Different Perspective
Changing standards may be politically fraught.
![“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)
