There's nothing nice that you can say about any of [the Arab countries]. Syria, for example, is one of the most violent terrorist regimes in the world. But it doesn't happen to be aggressive. Maybe it would like to be, but it isn't. For objective reasons. There's virtually no correlation between the internal nature of some country and its commitment to external violence. And I think if you look back over history you'll never find a correlation, back to the Greeks.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Arab countries like Syria are violent internally but not always aggressive externally. There is no correlation between internal nature and external violence historically.
- In plain terms
- Internal regime violence does not necessarily predict external aggression.
- What can you take from it?
- Internal nature and external violence are not directly linked.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we measure state threat?
- Does internal behavior predict external acts?
Another view
It overlooks cases where internal oppression fuels external aggression.
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