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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

  • war debates
  • defense policy
  • security meetings

Putting it to work

  • justifying intervention
  • rejecting isolationism
  • urging action

Questions to consider

  • Does retreat solve security?
  • What is the cost of war?

Another view

Engagement abroad can also lead to prolonged conflict.

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