--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The attack on unions has been far more…" description: "\"The attack on unions has been far more extreme here [in U.S], and it has been much more successful.\" — Noam Chomsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg" --- # The attack on unions has been far more extreme here \[in… ![“The attack on unions has been far more extreme here [in U.S], and it has been much more successful.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg) > “The attack on unions has been far more extreme here \[in U.S\], and it has been much more successful.” [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. Union suppression in the U.S. is extreme yet effective, weakening workers’ power. **In simple terms:** Unions are heavily attacked and succeed in weakening labor. Key Takeaway Support and strengthen collective bargaining. Themes labor rights politics power unionism Mood analytical urgent Type political strategic When to use this quote - workplace negotiations - policy advocacy - community organizing - legislative reform Key Concepts economics political science social movements Questions to Reflect On - What strategies can revitalize union influence? - How can individuals contribute to collective power? A Different Perspective Opposition may be entrenched and resistant to change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attack Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack-unions-590570/) [Extreme Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extreme-successful-590572/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Far Extreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far-extreme-590573/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/union/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Unions Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions-far-590571/) ## Related quotes > [ Starting with \[Ronald\] Regan it became quite open, the attack on unions. It wasn't the Pinkertons anymore, but it was just not applying the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/starting-with-ronald-regan-it-became-quite-open-the-attack-on-unions/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s not about the budget; it’s about the power...So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. But anyone who cares about retaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/it-s-not-about-the-budget-it-s-about-the-power-so-will-the-attack-on/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [ The literature is like that - they \[unions\] are constantly talking about the masses, the danger they pose, and how to control them. They… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-literature-is-like-that-they-unions-are-constantly-talking-about/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Labor # Unions are the leading force for # democratization and # progress .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/labor-unions-are-the-leading-force-for-democratization-and-progress/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ Anti-union propaganda has been considerably more successful here \[ in the U.S.\] than in Europe, even among working people who would benefit \[from\] unions. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/anti-union-propaganda-has-been-considerably-more-successful-here-in/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [NATO was constructed on the - with the reason, whether one believes it or not, that it was going to defend Western Europe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/nato-was-constructed-on-the-with-the-reason-whether-one-believes-it/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ Private sector unionization is down to practically seven percent. Meanwhile the public sector unions have kind of sustained themselves \[even\] under attack, but in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/private-sector-unionization-is-down-to-practically-seven-percent/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There has been a huge attack against private sector unions. Actually, that's been going on since the Second World War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-has-been-a-huge-attack-against-private-sector-unions-actually/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“A sit-down strike is just one step short of saying, “Look, instead of sitting down, we’ll run this place. We don’t need owners and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-sit-down-strike-is-just-one-step-short-of-saying-look-instead-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Policies are designed to undermine working class organization and the reason is not only the unions fight for workers' rights, but they also have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/policies-are-designed-to-undermine-working-class-organization-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Reagan was extreme. Beginning of his administration, one of the first things was to call in scabs - hadn't been done for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/reagan-was-extreme-beginning-of-his-administration-one-of-the-first/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We could not bring democracy to South Vietnam at a cost that we were willing to accept. So it was a disaster. That' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/we-could-not-bring-democracy-to-south-vietnam-at-a-cost-that-we-were/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Liberty and Union, now and for ever, one and inseparable!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/liberty-and-union-now-and-for-ever-one-and-inseparable/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [I ended up an actor, did my first professional union gig in 1974, and I've been doing it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ironside/i-ended-up-an-actor-did-my-first-professional-union-gig-in-1974-and-i/) [Michael Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ironside/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) ## 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 Extremes quotes > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [One should try to locate power at the extreme of its exercise, where it is always less legal in character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/one-should-try-to-locate-power-at-the-extreme-of-its-exercise-where/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [My childhood was extreme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/my-childhood-was-extreme/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/) [Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/) > [An excessive preponderance of an idealistic mood is harmful to society: it creates daydreaming, political Don Quixotism, hope for heavenly intervention. This is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henryk-sienkiewicz/an-excessive-preponderance-of-an-idealistic-mood-is-harmful-to/) [Henryk Sienkiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henryk-sienkiewicz/) > [I think that for thousands of years people have made the observation that there are certain kinds of extreme depressive states that seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/i-think-that-for-thousands-of-years-people-have-made-the-observation/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [I find that Americans are all in the middle somewhere, except for the extreme nuts, and extreme nuts on both sides are the loudest.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/i-find-that-americans-are-all-in-the-middle-somewhere-except-for-the/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [I think the only real referent for anybody writing drama is probably Hamlet. You have the most extreme tragic drama, this sort of blood-boltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-think-the-only-real-referent-for-anybody-writing-drama-is-probably/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) [Browse all 1,963 Extremes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The attack on unions has been far more extreme here [in U.S], and it has been much more successful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-extreme-here-in-u-s-and-it-has/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Extremes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-extreme-here-in-u-s-and-it-has/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77b/noam-chomsky-42_extremes_the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-e_2453614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The attack on unions has been far more extreme here [in U.S], and it has been much more successful.” — 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": "The attack on unions has been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-extreme-here-in-u-s-and-it-has/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-attack-on-unions-has-been-far-more-extreme-here-in-u-s-and-it-has/#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 } } ] } ```