--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take like, say, Obama, he's called…" description: "\"Take like, say, Obama, he's called \"liberal\" and he's praised for his \"principled objection to the Iraq war\". What was his \"principled objection\"? He s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/noam-chomsky-42_blunders_take-like-say-obama-he-s-called-liberal_1569474.jpg" --- # Take like, say, Obama, he's called "liberal" and he's… ![“Take like, say, Obama, he's called "liberal" and he's praised for his "principled objection to the Iraq war". What was his "principled objection"? He says it was a "strategic blunder," like Nazi generals after Stalingrad.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/noam-chomsky-42_blunders_take-like-say-obama-he-s-called-liberal_1569474.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/noam-chomsky-42_blunders_take-like-say-obama-he-s-called-liberal_1569474.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/098/noam-chomsky-42_blunders_take-like-say-obama-he-s-called-liberal_1569474.jpg) > “Take like, say, Obama, he's called "liberal" and he's praised for his "principled objection to the Iraq war". What was his "principled objection"? He says it was a "strategic blunder," like Nazi generals after Stalingrad.” [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. Chomsky argues that Obama’s opposition to the Iraq war was based on strategic miscalculation, not moral principle, likening it to Nazi generals’ errors after Stalingrad. **In simple terms:** Obama’s objection was strategic, not moral. Key Takeaway Recognize strategic flaws in policy decisions. Themes politics war strategy Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debate - academic discussion - media commentary Key Concepts realism critical analysis Questions to Reflect On - Is a strategic error sufficient to oppose war? - How do moral and strategic critiques differ? A Different Perspective Strategic objections may ignore ethical dimensions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blunders/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Iraq war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-war/) [Liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberal/) [Nazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazi/) [Objections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objections/) [Stalingrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stalingrad/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Too often, complaint is not about principled objection on moral grounds, but opportunistic objection on grounds of self-interest. To rectify this, we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-baggini/too-often-complaint-is-not-about-principled-objection-on-moral/) [Julian Baggini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-baggini/) > [What's called "liberal" in the intelectual culture means highly conformist to power, but mildly critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/what-s-called-liberal-in-the-intelectual-culture-means-highly/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [No liberal newspaper ever talked about the invasion of Vietnam; they talked about the defense of Vietnam. And then they were saying, "well, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/no-liberal-newspaper-ever-talked-about-the-invasion-of-vietnam-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I have never suggested any principled difference between the natural and social sciences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-have-never-suggested-any-principled-difference-between-the-natural/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Furthermore, what profit was it to me that I, rascally slave of selfish ambitions that I was, read and understood by myself as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/furthermore-what-profit-was-it-to-me-that-i-rascally-slave-of-selfish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [These are times when what used to be called liberal is now called radical; what used to be called radical is now called insane;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-vanden-heuvel/these-are-times-when-what-used-to-be-called-liberal-is-now-called/) [Katrina vanden Heuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-vanden-heuvel/) > [I don't mind being called a liberal. I just don't really think it's true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/i-don-t-mind-being-called-a-liberal-i-just-don-t-really-think-it-s/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [Our two major parties are actually called the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stockwell-day/our-two-major-parties-are-actually-called-the-liberal-party-and-the/) [Stockwell Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stockwell-day/) > [The power of consumer goods . . . has been engendered by the so-called liberal and progressive demands of freedom, and, by appropriating them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pier-paolo-pasolini/the-power-of-consumer-goods-has-been-engendered-by-the-so-called/) [Pier Paolo Pasolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pier-paolo-pasolini/) > [Sometimes, it might be called conservative; sometimes it might be called liberal. 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