I am not proud of the part I played in it. I did it because it was necessary for the safety of this country. That's why I am such a great exponent of stopping this whole nonsense of war. Unfortunately limits - attempts to limit war have always failed. The lesson of history is when a war starts every nation will ultimately use whatever weapon it has available. ... Therefore, we must expect that if another war - a serious war - breaks out, we will use nuclear energy in some form.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- War inevitably leads to using all available weapons, including nuclear ones, so stopping it is vital.
- In plain terms
- Once war starts, nations use every weapon they have.
- What can you take from it?
- Prevent war entirely since escalation is inevitable.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can we ever truly limit war?
- Is deterrence effective?
Another view
It assumes all nations will always escalate to maximum force.
More from Hyman G. Rickover
I'll be philosophical. Until about two billion years ago, it was impossible to have any life on earth; that is, there was so much radiation on earth you couldn…
Permalink to quote #1 If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God will forgive you but the bureaucracy won't.
Permalink to quote #3 An academic reactor or reactor plant almost always has the following basic characteristics: (1) It is simple. (2) It is small. (3) It is cheap. (4) It is light…
Permalink to quote #4
Related quotes
Using the moral yardstick mentioned by [Moshe Sharett], I must ask: Are [we justified] in opening fire on the Arabs who cross [the border] to reap the crops th…
Moshe DayanMoshe Dayan quote #7 [Q: can you conceive of any form in which you might support American military action taken, like the President's justification, in anticipation of an imminent …
Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky quote #75 Sometimes we must fight terror with tyranny. Press Conference (November 7, 2007 press conference, talking about Pakistan)
George W. BushGeorge W. Bush quote #269