--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we get to a point where people in this…" description: "\"If we get to a point where people in this country feel more affinity with a leader who is an adversary and view the United States and our way of life a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg" --- # If we get to a point where people in this country feel… ![“If we get to a point where people in this country feel more affinity with a leader who is an adversary and view the United States and our way of life as a threat to him, then we're gonna have bigger problems than just cyber hacking.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg) > “If we get to a point where people in this country feel more affinity with a leader who is an adversary and view the United States and our way of life as a threat to him, then we're gonna have bigger problems than just cyber hacking.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When citizens align with hostile leaders, national security threats exceed cyber attacks. **In simple terms:** Supporting adversaries harms the country. Key Takeaway Promote informed civic engagement. Themes politics national security public opinion Mood cautious analytical Type political warning When to use this quote - elections - community discussions - policy debates Key Concepts leadership polarization media influence Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to sympathize with adversaries? - How can media reduce polarization? A Different Perspective Complex issues require nuanced solutions beyond simple warnings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversaries/) [Affinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affinity/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacker/) [Hacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hacking/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Way of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [A child whose life is full of the threat and fear of punishment is locked into babyhood. There is no way for him to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/a-child-whose-life-is-full-of-the-threat-and-fear-of-punishment-is/) [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) > [Dear friend,I won't say I will die for you.But I promise,whenever your life is in threat,I will definitely save yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bibeka/dear-friend-i-won-t-say-i-will-die-for-you-but-i-promise-whenever/) [Bibeka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bibeka/) > [My final coaching point of the day: It's my contention that in any given moment one lives one's life in one of two ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-steen/my-final-coaching-point-of-the-day-it-s-my-contention-that-in-any/) Jim Steen > [The thing that has disturbed me most about the Russian hacking episode is - and the thing that surprised me most has not been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-thing-that-has-disturbed-me-most-about-the-russian-hacking/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ Our intelligence communities spend a lot of time and effort gathering a lot of strands and a lot of data \[on Russian hacking\]. There… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-intelligence-communities-spend-a-lot-of-time-and-effort-gathering/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ I don't think I underestimated \[Vladimir Putin\], but I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-don-t-think-i-underestimated-vladimir-putin-but-i-think-that-i/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ I hope that this \[hacking\] does not continue to be viewed purely through a partisan lens.I think there are Republicans as well as Democrats… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-hope-that-this-hacking-does-not-continue-to-be-viewed-purely/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Russians sought to interfere with the election process - that the cyber hacking that took place by the Russians was part of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-russians-sought-to-interfere-with-the-election-process-that-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [People need to stop complaining bout being single since there's bigger problems in the world. Like McDonalds not serving breakfast after 10:30.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-need-to-stop-complaining-bout-being-single-since-there-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poor people will do almost anything to avoid problems. They see a challenge and they run...the secret to success, my friends, is not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-harv-eker/poor-people-will-do-almost-anything-to-avoid-problems-they-see-a/) [T. Harv Eker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-harv-eker/) > [If you feel like you've ‘made it,’ and you're completely satisfied, you have bigger problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-day/if-you-feel-like-you-ve-made-it-and-you-re-completely-satisfied-you/) [Howie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-day/) > [We live in a world of absolute immediacy. It is an interconnected, combustible world, where technology and many other actions have given nonstate actors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/we-live-in-a-world-of-absolute-immediacy-it-is-an-interconnected/) [Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/) > [If you were dead," Owen told her, "you'd have bigger problems than what you were wearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/if-you-were-dead-owen-told-her-you-d-have-bigger-problems-than-what/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Another bigger problem is the fact that these incidents of police violence continue to occur because far too often the officers on the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakeem-jeffries/another-bigger-problem-is-the-fact-that-these-incidents-of-police/) [Hakeem Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakeem-jeffries/) > [There is bigger problems in the world, like the starving kids in Ethiopia, get over yourself, okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-bigger-problems-in-the-world-like-the-starving-kids-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More Adversaries quotes > [In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/in-all-matters-of-opinion-our-adversaries-are-insane/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There were various aspects of Sun Tzu's approach that appealed to Ho Chi Minh: a) to learn to understand both the enemy and yourself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/there-were-various-aspects-of-sun-tzu-s-approach-that-appealed-to-ho/) [William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) > [Marriage, in my view, should be a balanced stalemate between equal adversaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marriage-in-my-view-should-be-a-balanced-stalemate-between-equal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's like I'm married to the silencer, Until I file for divorce and release my ex-calibers. Do art with your arteries, place that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharoahe-monch/it-s-like-i-m-married-to-the-silencer-until-i-file-for-divorce-and/) [Pharoahe Monch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharoahe-monch/) > [Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations. Man's capacity for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/educational-exchange-can-turn-nations-into-people-contributing-as-no/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [Obama is hardly the first president to seek rapprochement with our adversaries and reconciliation with our enemies, of course. But his determination to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-hayes/obama-is-hardly-the-first-president-to-seek-rapprochement-with-our/) [Stephen F. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-hayes/) > [It is better to make friends than adversaries of a conquered race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/it-is-better-to-make-friends-than-adversaries-of-a-conquered-race/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [“The most courageous act in politics is to try to understand your opponent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-most-courageous-act-in-politics-is-to-try-to-understand-your/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [My adversary is the world of finance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/my-adversary-is-the-world-of-finance/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [Often GOP political strategy seems like the human wave theory of the Chinese military translated to politics. Where Beijing uses masses of soldiers to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/often-gop-political-strategy-seems-like-the-human-wave-theory-of-the/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [Our ability to fall in love requires enough comfort with our masculinity to join it with someone's femininity and feel enhanced. .. . If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/our-ability-to-fall-in-love-requires-enough-comfort-with-our/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [You negotiate in bad faith if you do not forgive your adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/you-negotiate-in-bad-faith-if-you-do-not-forgive-your-adversary/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/we-should-seek-after-spiritual-gifts-they-can-lead-us-to-god-they-can/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) [Browse all 446 Adversaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we get to a point where people in this country feel more affinity with a leader who is an adversary and view the United States and our way of life as a threat to him, then we're gonna have bigger problems than just cyber hacking.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-this-country-feel-more-affinity/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-this-country-feel-more-affinity/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b52/barack-obama-17_adversaries_if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-thi_1345137.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we get to a point where people in this country feel more affinity with a leader who is an adversary and…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we get to a point...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-this-country-feel-more-affinity/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-get-to-a-point-where-people-in-this-country-feel-more-affinity/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```