Adherence Quote by Noam Chomsky
![“[Mikhail] Gorbachev said that he would agree to the unification of Germany, and even adherence of Germany to NATO, which was quite a concession, if NATO didn't move to East Germany. And [George] Bush and [James] Baker promised verbally, that's critical, verbally that NATO would not expand "one…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bd2/noam-chomsky-42_adherence_mikhail-gorbachev-said-that-he-would-agr_2235252.jpg)
“[Mikhail] Gorbachev said that he would agree to the unification of Germany, and even adherence of Germany to NATO, which was quite a concession, if NATO didn't move to East Germany. And [George] Bush and [James] Baker promised verbally, that's critical, verbally that NATO would not expand "one inch to the east," which meant East Germany. Nobody was talking about anything farther at the time. They would not expand one inch to the east. Now that was a verbal promise. It was never written. NATO immediately expanded to East Germany.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: “NATO Expansion and Verbal Agreements,” 2015 (radio broadcast)
The speaker highlights that NATO’s eastward expansion violated an informal verbal promise, suggesting a breach of trust in international agreements.
In simple terms: NATO broke a verbal promise not to expand eastward.
Key Takeaway
Uphold verbal commitments in diplomacy.
Themes
international relations
trust
NATO expansion
verbal agreements
political accountability
Mood
analytical
skeptical
informative
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- policy negotiations
- military alliance discussions
- historical analysis of Cold War
- public accountability debates
Key Concepts
political science
history
diplomacy
Questions to Reflect On
- Should verbal agreements be legally binding?
- How can trust be restored after broken promises?
A Different Perspective
Verbal promises are often unenforceable, leading to ambiguity.
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