---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [With] military threats, you can see them…"
description: "\"[With] military threats, you can see them actually, you can imagine it. People don't think about it enough. But if you think about it for a minute, you..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg"
---

#  \[With\] military threats, you can see them actually, you…

![“&#91;With&#93; military threats, you can see them actually, you can imagine it. People don't think about it enough. But if you think about it for a minute, you can see that a nuclear attack could be the end of everything.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg)

> “\[With\] military threats, you can see them actually, you can imagine it. People don't think about it enough. But if you think about it for a minute, you can see that a nuclear attack could be the end of everything.”

[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.

Nuclear war is a real, catastrophic possibility that people underestimate.

**In simple terms:** Nuclear attacks could end everything.

Key Takeaway

Take nuclear threats seriously.

Themes

nuclear weapons security awareness catastrophe

Mood

urgent serious

Type

political ethical

When to use this quote

- policy debates
- education campaigns
- peace activism

Key Concepts

political science deterrence theory global risk

Questions to Reflect On

- How can public perception be shifted?
- What policies could reduce nuclear risk?

A Different Perspective

Political will often ignores the threat.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Threats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threats/)

## Related quotes

> [The United States faces no serious military threats today, yet is constantly at war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-bandow/the-united-states-faces-no-serious-military-threats-today-yet-is/)

[Doug Bandow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-bandow/)

> [I think all of you know there is no adequate defense against massive nuclear attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-all-of-you-know-there-is-no-adequate-defense-against-massive/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [“Bioterrorism was every bit as dangerous as a nuclear attack or”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-akart/bioterrorism-was-every-bit-as-dangerous-as-a-nuclear-attack-or/)

[Bobby Akart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-akart/)

> [The United Nations passed so-called sanctions again on North Korea, and they've said they 'will exercise their preemptive right to a nuclear attack.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/the-united-nations-passed-so-called-sanctions-again-on-north-korea/)

[Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/)

> [As they were during the Cold War, urban population centers remain the most likely targets of a nuclear attack. Now, however, an attack may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cranston/as-they-were-during-the-cold-war-urban-population-centers-remain-the/)

[Alan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cranston/)

> [At 2:26 AM on 3 June 1980, Colonel William Odom of the Strategic Air Command alerted National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski that the US…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stansfield-turner/at-2-26-am-on-3-june-1980-colonel-william-odom-of-the-strategic-air/)

Stansfield Turner

> [ Sooner or later there will be a nuclear 9/11 \[by Islamic terrorists\] in an American city or that of a US ally... A terrorist… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/sooner-or-later-there-will-be-a-nuclear-9-11-by-islamic-terrorists-in/)

[David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/)

> [If you ask which of the scenarios I think is most dangerous, though, I will give a different answer. In that form of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-casti/if-you-ask-which-of-the-scenarios-i-think-is-most-dangerous-though-i/)

[John L. Casti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-casti/)

> [“There were unofficial discussions at the time about what would have happened if, heaven forbid, that nuclear warhead had exploded on American soil. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyo-komatsu/there-were-unofficial-discussions-at-the-time-about-what-would-have/)

[Sakyo Komatsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyo-komatsu/)

> [This means that the only function of nuclear weapons, while they exist, is to deter a nuclear attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-rotblat/this-means-that-the-only-function-of-nuclear-weapons-while-they-exist/)

[Joseph Rotblat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-rotblat/)

> [As far as I know, the most conservative estimates of the number of Americans who would be killed in a major nuclear attack, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/as-far-as-i-know-the-most-conservative-estimates-of-the-number-of/)

[George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/)

> [“attack. “One of the awkward questions we faced was whether to reconstitute Congress after a nuclear attack,” a participant recalled years later. “It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/attack-one-of-the-awkward-questions-we-faced-was-whether-to/)

[Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/)

> [“Throughout the Cold War such priorities reflected a command environment in which —it was regarded as overwhelmingly more important to assure a Go response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/throughout-the-cold-war-such-priorities-reflected-a-command/)

[Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/)

> [As a little kid in the late 1960s, I was afraid of the world. Even if I didn't get caught in the draft that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/as-a-little-kid-in-the-late-1960s-i-was-afraid-of-the-world-even-if-i/)

[Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/)

> [As international support for Obama's decision to attack Syria has collapsed, along with the credibility of government claims, the administration has fallen back on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/as-international-support-for-obama-s-decision-to-attack-syria-has/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

## 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 Ends quotes

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [The end is nothing; the road is all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-end-is-nothing-the-road-is-all/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/)

[Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/)

> [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/)

[Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/)

[Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/)

> [it is the brevity of life which makes it tolerable; its experiences have value because they have an end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winifred-holtby/it-is-the-brevity-of-life-which-makes-it-tolerable-its-experiences/)

[Winifred Holtby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winifred-holtby/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/)

[Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/)

> [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [The beginning of love is all about the butterflies, but the end of it is when you can't get out of bed in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/the-beginning-of-love-is-all-about-the-butterflies-but-the-end-of-it/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

Browse all 20,790 Ends quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[With] military threats, you can see them actually, you can imagine it. People don't think about it enough. But if you think about it for a minute, you can see that a nuclear attack could be the end of everything.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Noam Chomsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-actually-you-can-imagine-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ends"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-actually-you-can-imagine-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbf/noam-chomsky-42_ends_with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-a_2839113.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[With] military threats, you can see them actually, you can imagine it. People don't think about it enough…” — 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": "[With] military threats, you can see...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-actually-you-can-imagine-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/with-military-threats-you-can-see-them-actually-you-can-imagine-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
