"States are not moral agents, people are, and can impose moral standards on powerful institutions"

Noam Chomsky's quote recommends that it is individuals, not states, who are accountable for setting moral requirements. He indicates that individuals have the power to impose their own ethical requirements on effective institutions, such as federal governments and corporations. This indicates that people must take duty for their own actions and the actions of those in power. It likewise recommends that people must know the power they have to influence the choices of effective organizations and use it to ensure that those choices remain in line with their own ethical requirements. By doing so, individuals can guarantee that powerful institutions are held liable for their actions and that their decisions remain in line with the worths of individuals they serve.