Defense Quote by Noam Chomsky
“There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.”
About This Quote
The Pentagon Papers expose governmental deception, showing no legitimate defense justification for the actions documented.
In simple terms: Exposes governmental deception.
Key Takeaway
Government secrecy lacks defense justification.
Themes
politics
history
transparency
ethics
media
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- journalistic investigation
- policy analysis
Key Concepts
government accountability
press freedom
Practical Applications
- teaching media literacy
- informing public debate
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms can ensure governmental transparency?
- How does this shape public trust?
![“Had I been given The [Pentagon] Papers themselves that early, I would probably have become a prisoner of them—as it was, I had a good sense of the bureaucratic history [in them] as related by an expert, but I was also free to do several hundred interviews, not merely to flesh out the bureaucratic…” quote by David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/488/david-halberstam-9032_bureaucratic_had-i-been-given-the-pentagon-papers-the_3054229.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)
![“Their [the U.S.’s] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as ‘their home — their fortress.’ And good for them, I say. Well done!” quote by Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ec3/vladimir-putin-261_absolutes_their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolu_10791.jpg)
