"If the Nuremberg Laws were applied,every postwar American President would be hanged"

[Dorian]

- an old quote by Noam Chomsky.

We were discussing this quote in my college class yesterday, and it naturally riled lots of people up and had them calling Chomsky anti-American, Commie, yada yada. Many liberals took offense too.

Anyways, the topic had me wondering what people on this forum would think. Is the quote accurate?

[tuwix]

Indeed.
Chomsky have explained profoundly what he means and nobody really logically denied that opinion.

[PhoenixAsh]

Yes.

People getting riled is indicative of them suffering from "those things are only done by others....because we are supposed to be the good guys"

[tachosomoza]

If the Nuremberg Laws were applied, we'd need an industrial execution apparatus.

[RedHal]

and come election season, vote Democrats

[Dialectical Wizard]

Yeah I’ve heard him say that quite a lot, Chomsky can be such a moralist sometimes…

I mean he’s right in a sense, but who cares?

[Bala Perdida]

I think he said the trials where a list of everything the axis did and the allies didn't. Then they started doing it afterwards.

[The Intransigent Faction]

Yeah I’ve heard him say that quite a lot, Chomsky can be such a moralist sometimes…

I mean he’s right in a sense, but who cares?

The people who get riled up over it seem to care, and that seems to be the first step in curing moral hypocrisy.

[Sabot Cat]

Here's the essay, if anyone is curious: http://www.chomsky.info/talks/1990----.htm

I think his case is kind of weak for some of them with the initial standard he set up at the beginning (a point he acknowledges), but I agree with his general point.