Antiwar Quote by Noam Chomsky
“The point of public relations slogans like "Support Our Troops" is that they don't mean anything ... that's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody is going to be against and I suppose everybody will be for, because nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean anything. But its crucial value is that it diverts your attention from a question that does mean something, do you support our policy? And that's the one you're not allowed to talk about.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Media Critique, Noam Chomsky, 2005
Propaganda slogans are designed to be vague, diverting public attention from substantive policy debates.
In simple terms: Vague slogans distract from real issues.
Key Takeaway
Question the meaning behind slogans.
Themes
politics
media
propaganda
public opinion
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- election campaigns
- advertising
- public debates
- policy discussions
Key Concepts
skepticism
critical thinking
manipulation
language
Questions to Reflect On
- What policies are hidden behind the slogan?
- How does vague messaging affect democratic engagement?
A Different Perspective
Slogans can oversimplify complex issues, limiting informed discourse.
![“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)
