Expenses Quote by Benjamin Franklin
“The expenses required to prevent a war are much lighter than those that will, if not prevented, be absolutely necessary to maintain it.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: Private correspondence, 1755
Preventing war costs less than the expenses needed to sustain a war that was not avoided.
In simple terms: War prevention is cheaper than war maintenance.
Invest in peace to avoid higher future costs.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- government budgeting
- diplomacy
- military planning
- public policy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What investments can reduce conflict risk today?
- How can societies balance security and peace spending?
Peace efforts can be politically unpopular.