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Meaning
The quote argues that legal protections for free speech can end up benefiting the richest people the most. It suggests that what is presented as a general right may, in practice, strengthen existing inequality. The point is a criticism of how power is distributed in society.
When It Was Said
Not documented yet.
Who It Was Said To
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Historical Context
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Source
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Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
Did They Really Say It?
No source found on Wikiquote; the quote is listed as attributed to Noam Chomsky.
Did You Know?
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About Noam Chomsky
American intellectual, philosopher and linguist
Noam Chomsky is an American intellectual, philosopher, linguist, political activist, and social critic. He is widely known for his work in modern linguistics, and is sometimes called the father of that field. He has also played a major role in analytic philosophy and is regarded as one of the founders of cognitive science. Chomsky has held academic posts at the University of Arizona and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is institute professor emeritus. His work spans language, philosophy, politics, and social criticism, and his writing often reflects those wide-ranging interests.
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More Free Speech quotes
- “Obama will win the 2012 election, thanks in part to the tech community rallying behind him due to issues like…”John Battelle
- “To people like me, educated in post-war Britain, free speech has been a firm premise of the British way of li…”Roger Scruton
- “The people on the far left, they claim to be about free speech and expression. But as soon as you put somethi…”Stephen Miller
Power: more sayings
- “Bloomberg's $50 million is not going to revolutionize the electric power industry. But his willingness to fig…”Jeff Goodell
- “Men are not corrupted by the exercise of power, or debased by the habit of obedience; but by the exercise of…”Alexis de Tocqueville
- “But the healing place is with in you. Healing is a gift you were granted at birth, just as you were granted t…”Charlene Costanzo
READ THE SOURCE
Books by Noam Chomsky
The fateful triangle
1999
Failed States
2007
Power and Terror
2011
Cartesian linguistics
2003
Pirates & emperors
2003