The action we take and the decisions we make in this decade will have consequences far into this century. If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy. That will not happen on my watch.
George W. BushRead
We do not create terrorism by fighting the terrorists. We invite terrorism by ignoring them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ignoring terrorists can lead to greater threats, while fighting them can help alleviate the problem.
George W. Bush's quote emphasizes the importance of actively confronting terrorism rather than adopting a passive stance. He suggests that neglecting the existence and motivations of terrorists can invite more acts of terror, implying that engagement and taking action are necessary to mitigate the risks posed by such ideologies.
Themes
TerrorismActionEngagementIgnoranceThreat
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about national security, one could use this quote to stress the need for active measures against terrorism.
More from George W. Bush
All quotes βThousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger.
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Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended.
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Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people.
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Adoption was such a positive alternative to abortion, a way to save one life and brighten two more: those of the adoptive parents.
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We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions - by abandoning every value except the will to power - they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.
George W. BushRead
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When counterterrorist policies are used to suppress peaceful protests and legitimate opposition movements, shut down debate, target human rights defenders, or stigmatize minorities, they fail, and we all lose. Indeed, such responses may cause further resentment and instability and contribute to radicalization.
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