--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know what it means to say that…" description: "\"I don't know what it means to say that 'the internet should have a voice in Washington'.\" — Noam Chomsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg" --- # I don't know what it means to say that 'the internet… ![“I don't know what it means to say that 'the internet should have a voice in Washington'.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg) > “I don't know what it means to say that 'the internet should have a voice in Washington'.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the idea that the internet can directly influence legislative decisions, highlighting a mismatch between digital platforms and political power structures. **In simple terms:** The internet cannot simply speak for itself in politics. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of digital influence. Themes media politics technology Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy debates - digital activism - regulation discussions - public hearings Key Concepts democracy public sphere Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens amplify online voices effectively? - What safeguards ensure balanced digital participation? A Different Perspective Internet influence is mediated by human actors and institutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-voice-2422131/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Means Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-say-2303186/) [Say Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-internet-630665/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Voice Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice-washington-448372/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) ## Related quotes > [I will give everyday Kentuckians a voice in Washington - not just special interests or the wealthiest 1%.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/i-will-give-everyday-kentuckians-a-voice-in-washington-not-just/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) > [The Internet...has become the voice of the people in the first genuine experiment in democracy yet conducted in America. It stands ready to serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-internet-has-become-the-voice-of-the-people-in-the-first-genuine/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) > [There's no law on the internet. There's no voice of reason. It's every man for himself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-schulman/there-s-no-law-on-the-internet-there-s-no-voice-of-reason-it-s-every/) [Ariel Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-schulman/) > [To the hardworking men and women of Texas' 13th Congressional District, I cannot thank you enough for trusting me to be your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/to-the-hardworking-men-and-women-of-texas-13th-congressional-district/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [As I serve as their voice in Washington, I am dedicated to showcasing how Ohio is leading the way while working to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-husted/as-i-serve-as-their-voice-in-washington-i-am-dedicated-to-showcasing/) [Jon Husted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-husted/) > [I ran for Congress to give Kansans a real voice in Washington, D.C. - not to let our priorities be drowned out by special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/i-ran-for-congress-to-give-kansans-a-real-voice-in-washington-d-c-not/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [All I can do is pay attention, listen to what people in Minnesota are saying and do everything I can to bring that voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-smith/all-i-can-do-is-pay-attention-listen-to-what-people-in-minnesota-are/) [Tina Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-smith/) > [The people of the Fifth District of Louisiana need and deserve a voice in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-mcallister/the-people-of-the-fifth-district-of-louisiana-need-and-deserve-a/) [Vance McAllister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-mcallister/) > [The transition from unknown to known-in-publishing has been empowering but also challenging. It's an honor to know that people actually want to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/the-transition-from-unknown-to-known-in-publishing-has-been/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [The language of digital communication is a language we don't understand in a way. People say the internet is like the Wild West in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/the-language-of-digital-communication-is-a-language-we-don-t/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [I don't play computer games. What I do is yell at my secretary and say, 'Go on the Internet, and find this or that.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wynn/i-don-t-play-computer-games-what-i-do-is-yell-at-my-secretary-and-say/) [Steve Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wynn/) > [“Some say the Internet is for porn but you know that in truth the Internet is for spam.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/some-say-the-internet-is-for-porn-but-you-know-that-in-truth-the/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [If there's one thing I don't care about, it's what people say on the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryse-mizanin/if-there-s-one-thing-i-don-t-care-about-it-s-what-people-say-on-the/) [Maryse Mizanin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryse-mizanin/) > [People say the Internet's made of cats. The reason isn't because of cats; it's because people like to have an emotion where they say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-peretti/people-say-the-internet-s-made-of-cats-the-reason-isn-t-because-of/) [Jonah Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-peretti/) > [I don't like reading things that people say on the Internet because I know so much of it is not true. I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/i-don-t-like-reading-things-that-people-say-on-the-internet-because-i/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More Internet quotes > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-enjoy-upsetting-the-right-people-i-love-poking-fun-at-earnest/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Though 'Fat City' was written long before cellphones or the Internet, its human apparatus is state of the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/though-fat-city-was-written-long-before-cellphones-or-the-internet/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [Note to self: If you do not know how to spell a big scary spiders name, DO NOT look it up on the internet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-eisele/note-to-self-if-you-do-not-know-how-to-spell-a-big-scary-spiders-name/) [Becky Eisele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-eisele/) > [I remembered reading about a disease called Leishmaniasis, which matched my symptoms. I'd always thought it was an old wives' tale - a sand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fogle/i-remembered-reading-about-a-disease-called-leishmaniasis-which/) [Ben Fogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fogle/) > [The Internet lets thousands of total strangers collaborate to produce a truly hivelike result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/the-internet-lets-thousands-of-total-strangers-collaborate-to-produce/) [Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't have faith in the Internet, I have faith in people connected through the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gilliam/i-don-t-have-faith-in-the-internet-i-have-faith-in-people-connected/) [Jim Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gilliam/) > [The internet is very democratizing in some ways, but it also has other effects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-remnick/the-internet-is-very-democratizing-in-some-ways-but-it-also-has-other/) [David Remnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-remnick/) > [One of the Internet's highest-profile companies, Priceline once dreamed of transforming the way consumer goods are bought and sold by offering customers the chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/one-of-the-internet-s-highest-profile-companies-priceline-once/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [“Some innovations just don’t attract enough economic or social demand: just as supersonic flight and manned space flight stagnated after the 1970s, today (in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-j-rees/some-innovations-just-don-t-attract-enough-economic-or-social-demand/) [Martin J. Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-j-rees/) > [Moveon is not a one-way broadcast media. The Internet, when used best, is a two-way media. We have a forum in which people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-blades/moveon-is-not-a-one-way-broadcast-media-the-internet-when-used-best/) [Joan Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-blades/) [Browse all 9,049 Internet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know what it means to say that 'the internet should have a voice in Washington'.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-the-internet-should-have-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Internet" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-the-internet-should-have-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e7/noam-chomsky-42_internet_i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-t_625135.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know what it means to say that 'the internet should have a voice in Washington'.” — Noam Chomsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Noam Chomsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know what it means...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-the-internet-should-have-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-know-what-it-means-to-say-that-the-internet-should-have-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```