--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe in not attacking a country…" description: "\"I believe in not attacking a country pre-emptively unless you're sure of what you're doing and you're working with allies.\" — Al Franken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/al-franken-1407_allies_i-believe-in-not-attacking-a-country-pre_907570.png" --- # I believe in not attacking a country pre-emptively unless… ![“I believe in not attacking a country pre-emptively unless you're sure of what you're doing and you're working with allies.” quote by Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/al-franken-1407_allies_i-believe-in-not-attacking-a-country-pre_907570.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/al-franken-1407_allies_i-believe-in-not-attacking-a-country-pre_907570.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ac/al-franken-1407_allies_i-believe-in-not-attacking-a-country-pre_907570.png) > “I believe in not attacking a country pre-emptively unless you're sure of what you're doing and you're working with allies.” [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Do not launch pre‑emptive attacks unless absolutely certain and allied consensus exists. **In simple terms:** Only act when sure and with partners. Key Takeaway Seek certainty and alliance before action. Themes politics ethics war decision‑making Mood reflective concerned Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - parliamentary votes - military planning Key Concepts pre‑emptive war alliance dynamics risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What evidence justifies pre‑emptive force? - How to handle dissenting allies? A Different Perspective Allies may disagree, causing delays. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Attacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking/) [Attacking Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking-country-1302000/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Attacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-attacking-1302001/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [I believe in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe-in/) [Working Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-allies-1302002/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think, post 9/11, we're going to wait for real obvious things like Country A attacking Country B - because Country A doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/i-don-t-think-post-9-11-we-re-going-to-wait-for-real-obvious-things/) [Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/) > [We secured peace for our country for one and a half years, as well as an opportunity of preparing our forces for defense if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/we-secured-peace-for-our-country-for-one-and-a-half-years-as-well-as/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [The Foreign Affairs Committee is first in line to call for the U.K. to take a more active and independent role in world affairs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/the-foreign-affairs-committee-is-first-in-line-to-call-for-the-u-k-to/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [It is not always possible to have everything go as one likes. In working with allies, it sometimes happens that they develop opinions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/it-is-not-always-possible-to-have-everything-go-as-one-likes-in/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [No one would argue that it's in the United States' interest to have independent knowledge of the plans and intentions of foreign countries. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/no-one-would-argue-that-it-s-in-the-united-states-interest-to-have/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [This is really good,” Donovan Caine said, attacking his third strawberry pancake. “You sound surprised,” I said. 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Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Al Franken > [I want to reclaim 'liberal.' I'm a liberal, and I think most Americans are liberals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-want-to-reclaim-liberal-i-m-a-liberal-and-i-think-most-americans/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“The Democratic Senator’s Serenity Prayer God Grant Me the Serenity to Accept the Things I Cannot Legislate The Courage to Legislate the Things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/the-democratic-senator-s-serenity-prayer-god-grant-me-the-serenity-to/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [I'm for Israel's right to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/i-m-for-israel-s-right-to-exist/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. 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My mom sold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/my-dad-didn-t-graduate-from-high-school-ended-up-being-a-printing/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [“As the polls began closing in the East, with states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia going for Barack Obama, it was quickly becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/as-the-polls-began-closing-in-the-east-with-states-like-new-hampshire/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Net neutrality isn't a government takeover of the Internet, as many of my Republican colleagues have alleged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/net-neutrality-isn-t-a-government-takeover-of-the-internet-as-many-of/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [Demagoguery sells. And therefore, radio stations will put it on. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something else and also make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/demagoguery-sells-and-therefore-radio-stations-will-put-it-on-but/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) [Explore all 245 Al Franken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) ## More Allies quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) [Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. 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Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What would your life be like if your body were your friend and ally?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/what-would-your-life-be-like-if-your-body-were-your-friend-and-ally/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [“Bacteria and viruses were the most effective allies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-hughes-galeano/bacteria-and-viruses-were-the-most-effective-allies/) [Eduardo Hughes Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-hughes-galeano/) > [When black women are down with you and in your corner, you have an ally that will move Heaven and Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/when-black-women-are-down-with-you-and-in-your-corner-you-have-an/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [There is an irreplaceable ally. 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