Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
A country's military power reflects its underlying fears and insecurities rather than its true strength.
In plain terms
Warfare capability shows fear, not strength.
What can you take from it?
Assess nations by stability, not military might.

Where it applies

  • analyzing international relations
  • evaluating national policies

Putting it to work

  • policy analysis
  • conflict assessment

Questions to consider

  • What drives a nation to build up arms?
  • How do we distinguish defense from aggression?

Another view

Military strength can sometimes be a measure of genuine defense needs rather than fear.

More from Derek R. Audette

  1. One of the most distinguishing differences between liberals and conservatives in America is that the average Liberal feels that we should have little reservati…

    Permalink to quote #43
  2. The mere fact that so many who espouse such far-right views and beliefs still exist in this society is incarnate proof that Darwin's theories apply solely to b…

    Permalink to quote #45
  3. One of the biggest differences between liberalism and conservativism these days, is that conservativism isn't what conservativism should be, and liberalism is …

    Permalink to quote #42

Related quotes

  1. Germany, which has lately united 80 million Germans, has submitted certain neighboring countries to her supremacy and gained military strength in many aspects,…

    Vyacheslav MolotovVyacheslav Molotov quote #9
  2. 'The Beast stands for strong mutually antagonistic governments everywhere,' he said. 'Self-sufficiency at home, self-assertion abroad.'

    Evelyn WaughEvelyn Waugh quote #36
  3. Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emb…

    William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare quote #38