--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: United States has comparative advantage…" description: "\"United States has comparative advantage in military force. It tends to react to anything at first with military force, that's what it's good at. And I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg" --- # United States has comparative advantage in military force… ![“United States has comparative advantage in military force. It tends to react to anything at first with military force, that's what it's good at. And I think they overdid it. There was more military force than was necessary.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg) > “United States has comparative advantage in military force. It tends to react to anything at first with military force, that's what it's good at. And I think they overdid it. There was more military force than was necessary.” [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 US relies heavily on military power, often exceeding what is necessary for a given situation **In simple terms:** America tends to default to force, sometimes overusing it Key Takeaway Recognize when force is disproportionate and explore alternatives Themes power military policy overreach foreign policy strategic restraint Mood critical analytical Type political commentary academic critique When to use this quote - policy debates - defense budgeting - international negotiations - humanitarian interventions - public discourse Key Concepts Realism imperialism ethical foreign policy resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - When is force truly justified? - What non‑military options exist? A Different Perspective Military solutions may ignore diplomatic or economic tools that could be more effective ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Advantage Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage-military-2834691/) [Comparative advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparative-advantage/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Force Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force-necessary-740977/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-force/) [Overdid Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overdid-military-2834690/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [The amount of military force necessary to provide reassurance depends on how dangerous people think the world is. And that I think ultimately depends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-amount-of-military-force-necessary-to-provide-reassurance-depends/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The U.S. tends to export high-tech goods because we have strong comparative advantage there, and we tend to import labor-intensive and less skill-intensive goods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-autor/the-u-s-tends-to-export-high-tech-goods-because-we-have-strong/) [David Autor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-autor/) > [Right now, where do we stand? Well right at the Russian border, both sides have been taking provocative actions, both sides are building up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/right-now-where-do-we-stand-well-right-at-the-russian-border-both/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The United States is alone among all the countries in that it does not permit US military forces to be under any threat. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-united-states-is-alone-among-all-the-countries-in-that-it-does/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Economists have understood since the Victorian era that the main benefits of trade come from comparative advantage: the idea that people can specialize in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-autor/economists-have-understood-since-the-victorian-era-that-the-main/) [David Autor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-autor/) > [A system that rewards politicians skilled at campaigning - which is the art of creating an illusion - and that puts hundreds of billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/a-system-that-rewards-politicians-skilled-at-campaigning-which-is-the/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Litmus test: If you can't describe Ricardo's Law of Comparative Advantage and explain why people find it counterintuitive, you don't know enough about economics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/litmus-test-if-you-can-t-describe-ricardo-s-law-of-comparative/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [Thousands of important and intelligent men have never been able to grasp the principle of comparative advantage or believe it even after it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/thousands-of-important-and-intelligent-men-have-never-been-able-to/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [We need to move from comparative advantage to perpetual advantage...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-mckeown/we-need-to-move-from-comparative-advantage-to-perpetual-advantage/) [Max McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-mckeown/) > [The ability to work with systems of general equilibrium is perhaps one of the most important skills of the economist - a skill which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/the-ability-to-work-with-systems-of-general-equilibrium-is-perhaps/) [Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/) > [Every great political campaign rewrites the rules; devising a new way to win is what gives campaigns a comparative advantage against their foes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/every-great-political-campaign-rewrites-the-rules-devising-a-new-way/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Temporary nationalization of the banks that are in very bad shape would mean basically that the government is the temporary owner. I always believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/temporary-nationalization-of-the-banks-that-are-in-very-bad-shape/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [In the quest for comparative advantage, investment will flow towards those countries that can offer more output for fewer emissions. Inaction will cost jobs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-gillard/in-the-quest-for-comparative-advantage-investment-will-flow-towards/) [Julia Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-gillard/) > [Firms gain comparative advantage from how good their people are. Retaining and attracting talent is a key point of competitive advantage in the global…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-morrison/firms-gain-comparative-advantage-from-how-good-their-people-are/) [Scott Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-morrison/) > [The fact that global savers accommodate U.S. consumers by keeping U.S. interest rates lower than they otherwise would be and the dollar stronger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-makin/the-fact-that-global-savers-accommodate-u-s-consumers-by-keeping-u-s/) [John H. Makin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-makin/) ## 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 Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "United States has comparative advantage in military force. It tends to react to anything at first with military force, that's what it's good at. And I think they overdid it. There was more military force than was necessary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/united-states-has-comparative-advantage-in-military-force-it-tends-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/united-states-has-comparative-advantage-in-military-force-it-tends-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/noam-chomsky-42_advantage_united-states-has-comparative-advantage_1092776.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“United States has comparative advantage in military force. It tends to react to anything at first with…” — 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": "United States has comparative advantage in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/united-states-has-comparative-advantage-in-military-force-it-tends-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/united-states-has-comparative-advantage-in-military-force-it-tends-to/#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 } } ] } ```