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About this quote

What does it mean?
Hitchens doubts mediators will change their minds and insists governments must protect citizens.
In plain terms
Mediators won't listen, and governments must prevent future attacks.
What can you take from it?
Governments have a duty to protect citizens from attacks.

Where it applies

  • policy debate
  • diplomacy discussions
  • security analysis

Putting it to work

  • prioritizing citizen safety
  • critiquing mediation efforts

Questions to consider

  • What is the primary duty of a government?

Another view

Mediation can still play a role in conflict resolution.

More from Christopher Hitchens

  1. It must be obvious to anyone who can think at all that the charges against the Hussein regime are, as concerns arsenals of genocidal weaponry, true.

    Permalink to quote #56
  2. Will an Iraq war make our Al Qaeda problem worse? Not likely.

    Permalink to quote #58
  3. Did we not aid the grisly Taliban to achieve and hold power? Yes indeed 'we' did. Well, does that not double or triple our responsibility to remove them from p…

    Permalink to quote #55

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