In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores. There is no peace in retreat. And there is no honor in retreat.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Retreat does not guarantee safety; staying committed to fighting attackers prevents them from reaching home.
- In plain terms
- Avoiding conflict abroad invites danger at home.
- What can you take from it?
- Security requires active engagement, not withdrawal.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does retreat solve security?
- What is the cost of war?
Another view
Engagement abroad can also lead to prolonged conflict.
More from George W. Bush
Lacking the military strength to challenge us directly, the terrorists have chosen the weapon of fear. When they murder children at a school in Beslan or blow …
Permalink to quote #356 But our enemies and our friends can be certain: The United States will not retreat from the world, and we will never surrender to evil. America rejects the fal…
Permalink to quote #358 No one can deny the success of freedom, but some men rage and fight against it. And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is radical Islam - the p…
Permalink to quote #355
Related quotes
I believe with all my heart that our first priority must be world peace, and that use of force is always and only a last resort, when everything else has faile…
Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan quote #21 Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, …
Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton quote #32 I think we need to continue working hard on developing a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East... unfortunately things are not going in the right direct…
Mohamed ElBaradeiMohamed ElBaradei quote #3