I'm not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker argues against using disproportionate military force for minor targets, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and strategic appropriateness.
- In plain terms
- It is not worth using a huge missile to hit a small, unimportant target.
- What can you take from it?
- Match resources to the size of the problem.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is overwhelming force justified?
- How do you measure target importance?
Another view
Sometimes high-impact displays are necessary regardless of cost.
More from George W. Bush
I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive'.
Permalink to quote #62 Nobody can threaten this country. Oh, they may be able to bomb buildings and obviously disrupt lives.
Permalink to quote #64 I can hear you, the rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.
Permalink to quote #61
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