--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are by now declassified documents…" description: "\"There are by now declassified documents from the 1950s that tells you a lot about what's going on in Egypt and we should have known it then. It's about..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/noam-chomsky-42_capable_there-are-by-now-declassified-documents_3155601.jpg" --- # There are by now declassified documents from the 1950s… ![“There are by now declassified documents from the 1950s that tells you a lot about what's going on in Egypt and we should have known it then. It's about exactly what's happening, how we can disregard public opinion as long as the dictators we support are capable of suppressing their populations. So…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/noam-chomsky-42_capable_there-are-by-now-declassified-documents_3155601.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/noam-chomsky-42_capable_there-are-by-now-declassified-documents_3155601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/noam-chomsky-42_capable_there-are-by-now-declassified-documents_3155601.jpg) > “There are by now declassified documents from the 1950s that tells you a lot about what's going on in Egypt and we should have known it then. It's about exactly what's happening, how we can disregard public opinion as long as the dictators we support are capable of suppressing their populations. So to hell with public opinion. That's all right there in the 1950's. That's not security. That's not security of the government. That's, if anything, security from its own population. And there's a lot of that.” [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 speaker argues that governments manipulate public opinion and suppress populations, using security as a pretext, echoing Cold War tactics **In simple terms:** Governments may use security claims to silence dissent and control people Key Takeaway Question authority and seek transparency Themes politics power media manipulation Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy analysis - activism - education - journalism Key Concepts authoritarianism public opinion control Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports these claims? - How can citizens protect democratic discourse? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitics can oversimplify nuanced issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Dictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictator/) [Egypt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egypt/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Should have known](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have-known/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [The problem of numbers can only be dealt with by recognizing that people have a fundamental right to economic security. 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That's all right there in the 1950's. That's not security. That's not security of the government. That's, if anything, security from its own population. 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