---
title: "2 Famine Quotes By Robert McNamara"
description: "2 Famine quotes by Robert McNamara. Plus more from Robert McNamara and more Famine sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/140/robert-mcnamara-12738_birth_one-must-take-draconian-measures-of-demo_364299.png"
---

> [One must take draconian measures of demographic reduction against the will of the populations. Reducing the birth rate has proved to be impossible or insufficient. One must therefore increase the mortality rate. How? By natural means. Famine and sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/one-must-take-draconian-measures-of-demographic-reduction-against-the/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/140/robert-mcnamara-12738_birth_one-must-take-draconian-measures-of-demo_364299.png)

> [Short of nuclear war itself, population growth is the gravest issue the world faces. If we do not act, the problem will be solved by famine, riots, insurrection and war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/short-of-nuclear-war-itself-population-growth-is-the-gravest-issue/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/robert-mcnamara-12738_faces_short-of-nuclear-war-itself-population-g_3105408.png)

## Other authors on Famine

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b004/author-amartya-sen-12176.jpg) Amartya Sen 10 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famine/amartya-sen/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-yuval-noah-harari-100.jpg) Yuval Noah Harari 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famine/yuval-noah-harari/)
- [Annalee Newitz 5 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famine/annalee-newitz/)

## More by Robert McNamara

> [There is no more important task in a democracy than resolving the differences among people and finding a course of action that will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/there-is-no-more-important-task-in-a-democracy-than-resolving-the/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [ \[General Curtis\] LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side has lost. But what makes it immoral if… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/general-curtis-lemay-recognized-that-what-he-was-doing-would-be/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [They'll be no learning period with nuclear weapons. Make one mistake and you're going to destroy nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/they-ll-be-no-learning-period-with-nuclear-weapons-make-one-mistake/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [It was a perfectly beautiful night, as fall nights are in Washington. I walked out of the president's Oval Office, and as I walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/it-was-a-perfectly-beautiful-night-as-fall-nights-are-in-washington-i/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [It would be our policy to use nuclear weapons wherever we felt it necessary to protect our forces and achieve our objectives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/it-would-be-our-policy-to-use-nuclear-weapons-wherever-we-felt-it/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [One must take draconian measures of demographic reduction against the will of the populations. Reducing the birth rate has proved to be impossible or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/one-must-take-draconian-measures-of-demographic-reduction-against-the/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [Measure what is important, don't make important what you can measure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/measure-what-is-important-don-t-make-important-what-you-can-measure/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [Yeah, yeah, that's right. And I'd rather be damned if I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/yeah-yeah-that-s-right-and-i-d-rather-be-damned-if-i-don-t/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [All those involved in the firebombing of Tokyo .. were war criminals interviews recorded in the movie The Fog of War.. the firebombing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/all-those-involved-in-the-firebombing-of-tokyo-were-war-criminals/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [Lesson 2: The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/lesson-2-the-indefinite-combination-of-human-fallibility-and-nuclear/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [ ...but highly placed sources within the Kennedy Administration disagreed: "\[T\]he assumption that the strategic nuclear balance mattered in any way was wrong... As far… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/but-highly-placed-sources-within-the-kennedy-administration-disagreed/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [We burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo - men, women and children. LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/we-burned-to-death-100-000-japanese-civilians-in-tokyo-men-women-and/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [I would characterize current US nuclear weapons policy as immoral, illegal, militarily unnecessary, and dreadfully dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/i-would-characterize-current-us-nuclear-weapons-policy-as-immoral/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [Let's go in, let's totally destroy Cuba.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/let-s-go-in-let-s-totally-destroy-cuba/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [In my seven years as Secretary, we came within a hair's breadth of war with the Soviet Union on three different occasions! Twenty-four hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/in-my-seven-years-as-secretary-we-came-within-a-hair-s-breadth-of-war/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

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