--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When any kind of military action is…" description: "\"When any kind of military action is popular it's because either there's been a very clear, direct threat to us - 9/11 - or an administration uses vario..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/barack-obama-17_action_when-any-kind-of-military-action-is-popu_927409.jpg" --- # When any kind of military action is popular it's because… ![“When any kind of military action is popular it's because either there's been a very clear, direct threat to us - 9/11 - or an administration uses various hooks to suggest that American interests were directly threatened - like in Panama or Grenada. And sometimes, those hooks are more persuasive…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/barack-obama-17_action_when-any-kind-of-military-action-is-popu_927409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/barack-obama-17_action_when-any-kind-of-military-action-is-popu_927409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f10/barack-obama-17_action_when-any-kind-of-military-action-is-popu_927409.jpg) > “When any kind of military action is popular it's because either there's been a very clear, direct threat to us - 9/11 - or an administration uses various hooks to suggest that American interests were directly threatened - like in Panama or Grenada. And sometimes, those hooks are more persuasive than others, but typically, they're not put before Congress.” [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. He argues that popular military actions are driven by perceived threats, often framed by political narratives rather than congressional debate. **In simple terms:** Wars are justified by claimed threats, not always factual. Key Takeaway Question the motives behind military support. Themes politics war media influence Mood analytical inquisitive Type political historical When to use this quote - public debates - media literacy - civic education Key Concepts propaganda public opinion policy making Questions to Reflect On - How do media narratives shape public opinion? - What checks exist on executive war powers? A Different Perspective May ignore legitimate security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Persuasive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuasive/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [Climate change poses a direct threat to the infrastructure of America that we need to stay competitive in this 21st-century economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/climate-change-poses-a-direct-threat-to-the-infrastructure-of-america/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think Barack Obama 'll talk about the actions that we've taken, not just since 9/11, but since Paris, to help keep the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-barack-obama-ll-talk-about-the-actions-that-we-ve-taken-not/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The pursuit by the Iranian regime of nuclear weapons represents a direct threat to the entire international community, including to the United States and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-pursuit-by-the-iranian-regime-of-nuclear-weapons-represents-a/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [When confronted with a direct threat to American security, Obama has shown he is willing to act unilaterally - in a targeted, get-in-and-get-out fashion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-sanger/when-confronted-with-a-direct-threat-to-american-security-obama-has/) [David E. Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) > [For the last eight years, American policy toward Iraq has been based on the direct threat Saddam poses to international security. That threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy-berger/for-the-last-eight-years-american-policy-toward-iraq-has-been-based/) [Sandy Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandy-berger/) > [“Perhaps when all the consequences of a false presupposition suddenly becomes a direct threat mean in their great terror will become aware that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-pieper/perhaps-when-all-the-consequences-of-a-false-presupposition-suddenly/) [Josef Pieper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-pieper/) > [What had started out as a game was now an open challenge, as well as a direct threat. Any further action would bear results,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/what-had-started-out-as-a-game-was-now-an-open-challenge-as-well-as-a/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [North Korea is a direct threat to the United States. 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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 Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. 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