When Rumsfeld gets up on television and says we have definitive intelligence that al Qaeda is working with Iraq, how is an ordinary citizen supposed to react? They won't tell you the evidence, and when anyone asks, they say, 'Well, you know: It's secret.'

Noam Chomsky’s quote critiques the transparency and trustworthiness of information provided by government officials, particularly in matters related to national security. By referencing Rumsfeld, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and his statements about intelligence linking al Qaeda and Iraq, Chomsky highlights how government officials often present highly charged claims to the public without offering any concrete evidence. The statement "we have definitive intelligence" suggests a level of certainty about a serious accusation, yet Chomsky points out that the public is left with no way to verify the truth of these claims.

Chomsky’s mention of “ordinary citizens” emphasizes the gap between the elite decision-makers and the general public. Citizens are expected to trust these official statements, yet they are given no access to the actual intelligence or evidence on which such serious claims are based. The refusal to disclose evidence, with the justification that it is "secret," creates a disconnect between the government and the people it serves, reinforcing the idea that information is often controlled and manipulated to serve particular political agendas.

The phrase, “When anyone asks, they say, ‘Well, you know: It’s secret,’” points to the secrecy surrounding critical information that influences major political decisions, such as going to war. This reflects the way governments can use the classification of information as a way to avoid accountability, making it difficult for the public to question or challenge the narratives being presented to them. By calling attention to this, Chomsky is questioning the legitimacy of the claims made by officials and the ethical implications of withholding evidence that could allow the public to make informed decisions.

Ultimately, Chomsky’s quote critiques the lack of openness and transparency in political discourse, especially when national security is at stake. It reveals how the government can manipulate public perception by presenting vague, unverifiable information, all while invoking secrecy as a shield against scrutiny. In doing so, he underscores the dangers of allowing decisions of such magnitude to be made without meaningful public oversight or evidence.