--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although most Americans may be largely…" description: "\"Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all are likely to pay a steep price-individua lly..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png" --- # Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what… ![“Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all are likely to pay a steep price-individua lly and collectively-fo r their nation's continued efforts to dominate the global scene.” quote by Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png) > “Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all are likely to pay a steep price-individua lly and collectively-fo r their nation's continued efforts to dominate the global scene.” [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens often ignore how their nation's actions, done in their name, lead to costly consequences for both individuals and the collective. **In simple terms:** People overlook the hidden costs of national policies. Key Takeaway Stay informed about your country's foreign actions. Themes politics nationalism ignorance Mood critical concerned Type political activist When to use this quote - voting - activism - public debate Key Concepts imperialism ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do citizens have for their nation's actions? - How can societies hold governments accountable? A Different Perspective Awareness alone may not change entrenched policies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) ## Related quotes > [“Games were being played, that was all, and games of which he was largely ignorant and wished to remain so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-vine/games-were-being-played-that-was-all-and-games-of-which-he-was/) [Barbara Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-vine/) > [People are largely ignorant of the interests of the human species.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-khaldun/people-are-largely-ignorant-of-the-interests-of-the-human-species/) [Ibn Khaldun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-khaldun/) > [Before, it was just about making the films - and now it's releasing them. Which is a steep learning curve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/before-it-was-just-about-making-the-films-and-now-it-s-releasing-them/) [Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/) > [“The soft black talc blew through the streets like squid ink uncoiling along a sea floor and the cold crept down and the dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-soft-black-talc-blew-through-the-streets-like-squid-ink-uncoiling/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [The steep decline in America's image and standing after 9/11 is a direct reflection of global distaste for the instruments of American hard power:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-tharoor/the-steep-decline-in-america-s-image-and-standing-after-9-11-is-a/) [Shashi Tharoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-tharoor/) > [Sweet pliability of man's spirit, that can at once surrender itself to illusions, which cheat expectation and sorrow of their weary moments! - long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/sweet-pliability-of-man-s-spirit-that-can-at-once-surrender-itself-to/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [On a huge hill, Cragged, and steep, Truth stands, and hee that will Reach her, about must, and about must goo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/on-a-huge-hill-cragged-and-steep-truth-stands-and-hee-that-will-reach/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Again rejoicing Nature sees Her robe assume its vernal hues Her leafy locks wave in the breeze, All freshly steep'd in the morning dews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burns/again-rejoicing-nature-sees-her-robe-assume-its-vernal-hues-her-leafy/) [Robert Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burns/) > [The current health care takeover proposals feature a crucial payoff to Big Labor - a golden exemption from any tax on union members' generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-malkin/the-current-health-care-takeover-proposals-feature-a-crucial-payoff/) [Michelle Malkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-malkin/) > [Thus I began my systematic though half-bewildered tour of Innsmouth's narrow, shadow-blighted ways. Crossing the bridge and turning toward the roar of the lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/thus-i-began-my-systematic-though-half-bewildered-tour-of-innsmouth-s/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [We as a nation have no choice but to conserve fuel to the best of our abilities or be prepared for harsh measures like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veerappa-moily/we-as-a-nation-have-no-choice-but-to-conserve-fuel-to-the-best-of-our/) [Veerappa Moily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veerappa-moily/) > [There are many causes of violent deaths in America - murders and traffic accidents - that we do not approach with the same 'no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-c-blair/there-are-many-causes-of-violent-deaths-in-america-murders-and/) [Dennis C. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-c-blair/) > [O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall Frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed. Hold them cheap May who ne'er hung there. Nor does long our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-manley-hopkins/o-the-mind-mind-has-mountains-cliffs-of-fall-frightful-sheer-no-man/) [Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-manley-hopkins/) > [I am pretty good at arithmetic, and I know that the fight in front of us is a very, very steep fight. But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-merkley/i-am-pretty-good-at-arithmetic-and-i-know-that-the-fight-in-front-of/) [Jeff Merkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-merkley/) > [I work with a lot of music programs and there's a steep learning curve to a lot of them. You can really find yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe/i-work-with-a-lot-of-music-programs-and-there-s-a-steep-learning/) [Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe/) ## More by Chalmers Johnson > [A nation can be one or the other, a democracy or an imperialist, but it can't be both. If it sticks to imperialism, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/a-nation-can-be-one-or-the-other-a-democracy-or-an-imperialist-but-it/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [When war becomes the most profitable course of action, we can certainly expect more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/when-war-becomes-the-most-profitable-course-of-action-we-can/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The term blowback, which officials of the Central Intelligent Agency first invented for their own internal use, . . . refers to the unintended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-term-blowback-which-officials-of-the-central-intelligent-agency/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [None of the people's wars of the sixties did very well, including the one in Vietnam. Vo Nguyen Giap himself has admitted a loss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/none-of-the-people-s-wars-of-the-sixties-did-very-well-including-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The demise of the American empire will be no more regretted than the demise of the Soviet empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-demise-of-the-american-empire-will-be-no-more-regretted-than-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [History teaches us that the capacity of things to get worse is limitless. Roman history suggests that the short, happy life of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-of-things-to-get-worse-is/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [As a form of government, imperialism does not seek or require the consent of the governed. It is a pure form of tyranny. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/as-a-form-of-government-imperialism-does-not-seek-or-require-the/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [The 'defense' budget is three quarters of a trillion dollars. Profits went up last year well over 25%. I guarantee you: when war becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/the-defense-budget-is-three-quarters-of-a-trillion-dollars-profits/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Lastly, there is bankruptcy, as the United States pours its economic resources into ever more grandiose military projects and shortchanges the education, health, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/lastly-there-is-bankruptcy-as-the-united-states-pours-its-economic/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Blowback is simply another way of saying that a nation reaps what it sows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/blowback-is-simply-another-way-of-saying-that-a-nation-reaps-what-it/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [History teaches us that the capacity for things to get worse is limitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/history-teaches-us-that-the-capacity-for-things-to-get-worse-is/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) > [Imperial politics represents the conquest of domestic politics and the latter's conversion into a crucial element of inverted totalitarianism. It makes no sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/imperial-politics-represents-the-conquest-of-domestic-politics-and/) [Chalmers Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) [Explore all 13 Chalmers Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [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/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all are likely to pay a steep price-individua lly and collectively-fo r their nation's continued efforts to dominate the global scene.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chalmers Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/although-most-americans-may-be-largely-ignorant-of-what-was-and-still/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/although-most-americans-may-be-largely-ignorant-of-what-was-and-still/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/chalmers-johnson-35363_america_although-most-americans-may-be-largely-i_860547.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Although most Americans may be largely ignorant of what was, and still is, being done in their names, all…” — Chalmers Johnson", "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": "Chalmers Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalmers-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Although most Americans may be largely...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/although-most-americans-may-be-largely-ignorant-of-what-was-and-still/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalmers-johnson/although-most-americans-may-be-largely-ignorant-of-what-was-and-still/#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 } } ] } ```