For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.

The line encapsulates a recurring theme in Chomsky’s political critique: that “crime” is often a label applied selectively by those who control institutions, media narratives, and legal enforcement. In this view, powerful states and elites tend to define wrongdoing in ways that externalize guilt—highlighting the violence, corruption, or illegality of opponents—while normalizing or excusing comparable acts committed by themselves or their allies. The quote points to asymmetries in accountability: the same behavior may be condemned as criminal when done by the weak, but reframed as policy, security, or necessity when done by the strong. It is a compact statement about propaganda, double standards, and impunity.