If there's ever an example that military power alone cannot be successful in Afghanistan, I think it was the Soviet experience.
Robert M. GatesRead
If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of, and, frankly, the facile way in which too many people talk about, 'Well, let's just go attack them.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
War is complicated and often underestimated in its consequences.
This quote highlights the complexities and unpredictable nature of war, emphasizing how easily nations can engage in conflict without fully understanding the difficulties of withdrawal and resolution. It critiques the simplistic attitudes people often have towards military action, reminding us of the serious ramifications that accompany such decisions.
Themes
WarUnpredictabilityConflictWithdrawalMilitaryComplexityConsequences
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about military intervention, one might say, 'As Robert Gates noted, it's vital to understand the unpredictability of war.'
More from Robert M. Gates
All quotes →In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should 'have his head examined,' as General MacArthur so delicately put it.
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No president is well-served by groupthink or by everybody singing from the same sheet of music they think he's on.
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I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.
Robert M. GatesRead
I've been very sensitive for a long time to the repeated pattern, during economic hard times or after a war, of the United States' essentially unilaterally disarming.
Robert M. GatesRead
There is no international problem that can be addressed or solved without the engagement and leadership of the United States and everybody in the world knows that, its just fact of life. So sometimes I think we could conduct ourselves with a little more humility.
Robert M. GatesRead
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