Talk of imminent threat to our national security through the application of external force is pure nonsense. Our threat is from the insidious forces working from within which have already so drastically altered the character of our free institutions - those institutions we proudly called the American way of life.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- MacArthur dismisses external military threats as nonsense. He claims the real danger comes from internal forces changing American institutions.
- In plain terms
- Internal forces are a bigger threat to America than outside enemies.
- What can you take from it?
- Preserving institutions requires vigilance against internal change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What threatens institutions most?
- Is security internal or external?
Another view
It assumes internal change is inherently negative without defining what that means.
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