--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although the definition of an 'enemy of…" description: "\"“Although the definition of an 'enemy of the state' changed over time, the mechanisms to deal with these enemies were put in place right at the very be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/anne-applebaum-2544_time_although-the-definition-of-an-enemy-of-t_1909337.png" --- # Although the definition of an 'enemy of the state' changed… ![“Although the definition of an 'enemy of the state' changed over time, the mechanisms to deal with these enemies were put in place right at the very beginning.” quote by Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/anne-applebaum-2544_time_although-the-definition-of-an-enemy-of-t_1909337.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/anne-applebaum-2544_time_although-the-definition-of-an-enemy-of-t_1909337.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/anne-applebaum-2544_time_although-the-definition-of-an-enemy-of-t_1909337.png) > ““Although the definition of an 'enemy of the state' changed over time, the mechanisms to deal with these enemies were put in place right at the very beginning.”” [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The label “enemy of the state” evolves, but the tools to suppress such enemies were established from the outset. **In simple terms:** The term changes, but the suppression methods were set early. Key Takeaway Question how labels affect power structures. Themes politics state power enemy definition historical change Mood critical analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - legislation drafting - media framing - public policy - activist strategy Key Concepts political theory statecraft civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What modern threats fit the old “enemy” label? - How can societies reform suppression tools? A Different Perspective Early mechanisms may be outdated for modern threats. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You can deal with enemies who whom, but their enemies will know? 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Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/after-trump-became-president-it-was-really-too-late-to-investigate/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Until the attack on Pearl Harbor, isolationism was an important, even dominant strand in U.S. politics. After the Second World War, this strand disappeared,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/until-the-attack-on-pearl-harbor-isolationism-was-an-important-even/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [The U.S.S.R. was a totalitarian state in which judges and prosecutors were controlled by the ruling party. 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