--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war is not going well and it is time…" description: "\"The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with an eye on the wishes of our \"coalit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6c/charles-krauthammer-1232_48-hours_the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time_115264.jpg" --- # The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It… ![“The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with an eye on the wishes of our "coalition partners." It has been fought to assuage the Arab "street." It has been fought to satisfy the diplomats rather than the generals... Why have we…” quote by Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6c/charles-krauthammer-1232_48-hours_the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time_115264.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6c/charles-krauthammer-1232_48-hours_the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time_115264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6c/charles-krauthammer-1232_48-hours_the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time_115264.jpg) > “The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with an eye on the wishes of our "coalition partners." It has been fought to assuage the Arab "street." It has been fought to satisfy the diplomats rather than the generals... Why have we not loosed the B-52s and the B-2s to carpet-bomb Taliban positions? And why are we giving the Taliban sanctuary in their cities? We could drop leaflets giving civilians 48 hours to evacuate, after which the cities become legitimate military targets.” [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker criticizes a half‑hearted military strategy that prioritizes political optics and diplomatic appeasement over decisive action against the Taliban. **In simple terms:** War is being waged timidly to satisfy politics, not to win. Key Takeaway Political constraints dilute military effectiveness. Themes war strategy politics military ethics counterinsurgency diplomacy Mood critical urgent skeptical Type political commentary military critique When to use this quote - policy debates on air‑strike rules - military planning meetings - humanitarian NGOs assessing collateral damage Key Concepts civilian protection vs. combat necessity strategic vs. tactical objectives Practical Applications - evaluate proportionality of force - balance political goals with operational success Questions to Reflect On - How can military leaders reconcile political constraints with mission objectives? - What alternatives exist to achieve security without extensive bombing? A Different Perspective Escalating force may increase civilian casualties and fuel insurgent propaganda, undermining long‑term stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [48 hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/48-hours/) [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Carpet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpet/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Civilians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilians/) [Coalitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coalitions/) [Diplomats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomats/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Taliban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-taliban-1358557/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half measures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-measures/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Measures Fought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measures-fought-1358558/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Partners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/partners/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Sanctuary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctuary/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Taliban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taliban/) [Taliban Positions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taliban-positions-1358556/) [Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/target/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-going-241094/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [No half measures. Some things can’t be cut in half. You can’t half-love someone. You can’t half-betray, or half-lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/no-half-measures-some-things-can-t-be-cut-in-half-you-can-t-half-love/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/free-men-are-aware-of-the-imperfection-inherent-in-human-affairs-and-2/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“You have to understand me. There are no half measures here. I am your girl. I will be your woman. But I will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-bledsoe/you-have-to-understand-me-there-are-no-half-measures-here-i-am-your/) [Alex Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-bledsoe/) > [“When I do something, I go full-out. Half-measures are for wusses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-guinn/when-i-do-something-i-go-full-out-half-measures-are-for-wusses/) [Chris O'Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-guinn/) > [Christ says, 'Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/christ-says-give-me-all-i-don-t-want-so-much-of-your-time-and-so-much/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Turn away from half measures and resolve to live wholly, fully and beautifully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-vickers/turn-away-from-half-measures-and-resolve-to-live-wholly-fully-and/) [Julia Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-vickers/) > [I can at once refute the statement that the people of the West object to conservation of oil resources. They know that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-can-at-once-refute-the-statement-that-the-people-of-the-west-object/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [That there is a continuous link from humans to gorillas, with the intermediate species merely long dead, is beyond the understanding of speciesists. Tie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/that-there-is-a-continuous-link-from-humans-to-gorillas-with-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“When life wants to get our attention it doesn't bother with half measures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-schreiber/when-life-wants-to-get-our-attention-it-doesn-t-bother-with-half/) [Joe Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-schreiber/) > [They who have been bred in the school of politics fail nowand always to face the facts. Their measures are half measures and makeshifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/they-who-have-been-bred-in-the-school-of-politics-fail-nowand-always/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“No half measures,” he muttered several times. It was his personal motto; he intended to have it latinised and put on a crest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/no-half-measures-he-muttered-several-times-it-was-his-personal-motto/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-era-of-procrastination-of-half-measures-of-soothing-and-baffling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a stranger to half measures. With life I am on the attack, restlessly ferreting out each pleasure, foraging for answers, wringing from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marita-golden/i-am-a-stranger-to-half-measures-with-life-i-am-on-the-attack/) [Marita Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marita-golden/) > [“Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for-halfway-is-as-close-to-the/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [This will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome except victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/this-will-not-be-a-campaign-of-half-measures-and-we-will-accept-no/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Charles Krauthammer > [Obama and the Democrats were so critical of what Bush did, the interrogations, the secret prisons, Guantanamo and all of that, and even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/obama-and-the-democrats-were-so-critical-of-what-bush-did-the/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“America is the most welcoming, religiously tolerant, philo-semitic country in the world. No nation since Cyrus the Great’s Persia has done more for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/america-is-the-most-welcoming-religiously-tolerant-philo-semitic/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [I believe in what I believe, and I think after all these years I've heard a lot of arguments, and I'm convinced by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/i-believe-in-what-i-believe-and-i-think-after-all-these-years-i-ve/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [With our financial house on fire, Obama makes clear both in in his speech and his budget that the essence of his presidency will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/with-our-financial-house-on-fire-obama-makes-clear-both-in-in-his/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [The conservative idea is not that government has no role. You might have argued that in the thirties when conservatives opposed the New Deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-conservative-idea-is-not-that-government-has-no-role-you-might/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“International stability is never a given. It is never the norm. When achieved, it is the product of self-conscious action by the great powers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/international-stability-is-never-a-given-it-is-never-the-norm-when/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [Look, I don't mind if the President sends a budget which he knows is not going to achieve anything. But when he prefaces his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/look-i-don-t-mind-if-the-president-sends-a-budget-which-he-knows-is/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“Politics is the moat, the walls, beyond which lie the barbarians. Fail to keep them at bay, and everything burns.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/politics-is-the-moat-the-walls-beyond-which-lie-the-barbarians-fail/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [Don't touch my junk, you airport security goon--my package belongs to no one but me, and do you really think I'm a Nigerian nut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/don-t-touch-my-junk-you-airport-security-goon-my-package-belongs-to/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“The Russian Revolution and its imitators (Chinese, Cuban, Vietnamese, Cambodian) tried to atomize society so thoroughly--to war against the mediating structures that stand between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-russian-revolution-and-its-imitators-chinese-cuban-vietnamese/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [Where religion is trivialized, one is unlikely to find persecution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/where-religion-is-trivialized-one-is-unlikely-to-find-persecution/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [We must now brace ourselves for disquisitions on peer pressure, adolescent anomie, and rage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/we-must-now-brace-ourselves-for-disquisitions-on-peer-pressure/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [Post-Watergate morality, by which anything left private is taken as presumptive evidence of wrongdoing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/post-watergate-morality-by-which-anything-left-private-is-taken-as/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“The largest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity,' warns Czech president Vaclav Klaus, 'is no longer socialism. It is, instead, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-largest-threat-to-freedom-democracy-the-market-economy-and/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [After endless days of commuting on the freeway to an antiseptic, sealed-window office, there is a great urge to backpack in the woods and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/after-endless-days-of-commuting-on-the-freeway-to-an-antiseptic/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) [Explore all 268 Charles Krauthammer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) ## More 48 hours quotes > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > ['Happy girls are the prettiest,' and to be in the camera frame makes me happy. I just want myself to keep working. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditi-rao-hydari/happy-girls-are-the-prettiest-and-to-be-in-the-camera-frame-makes-me/) [Aditi Rao Hydari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditi-rao-hydari/) > [It is not easy to play two games, travel, and keep the same performance in 48 hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernandinho/it-is-not-easy-to-play-two-games-travel-and-keep-the-same-performance/) [Fernandinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernandinho/) > [There's certain things like scripted dramas that - they're either topical or such water-cooler moments that I think that they'll be consumed within 48…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kilar/there-s-certain-things-like-scripted-dramas-that-they-re-either/) [Jason Kilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kilar/) > [If I'm in Rome for only 48 hours, I would consider it a sin against God to not eat cacio e pepe, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/if-i-m-in-rome-for-only-48-hours-i-would-consider-it-a-sin-against/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [“The passenger door was wide open, nobody was around, and a purse was inside. Was this a trap? It seemed too good to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-passenger-door-was-wide-open-nobody-was-around-and-a-purse-was/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I wish there were 48 hours in a day and 14 days in a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushrat-bharucha/i-wish-there-were-48-hours-in-a-day-and-14-days-in-a-week/) [Nushrat Bharucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushrat-bharucha/) > [One of the nice things about being me is you show up in a town, you meet somebody interesting and entertaining, and for 48…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-branum/one-of-the-nice-things-about-being-me-is-you-show-up-in-a-town-you/) [Guy Branum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-branum/) > [ I see no issue with \[Donald\] Trump spending 48 hours in Scotland.Whether accidental or intentional, the fact that he was there when Britain voted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/i-see-no-issue-with-donald-trump-spending-48-hours-in-scotland/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [To me, in a perfect world, you have the flavor and the magic of movies like 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon and Bad Boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/to-me-in-a-perfect-world-you-have-the-flavor-and-the-magic-of-movies/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [I wish there were two of me and 48-hour days so I could get everything done. But for me, I have to not try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-alba/i-wish-there-were-two-of-me-and-48-hour-days-so-i-could-get/) [Jessica Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-alba/) > [Sometimes being lazy can get you in trouble. You ever not take a shower all weekend, just lounge around, then you're running late for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/sometimes-being-lazy-can-get-you-in-trouble-you-ever-not-take-a/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [The actors are different, although I didn't set out to be different. My inspiration came from people like Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and Will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/the-actors-are-different-although-i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-different-my/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [I am a completely self-made person. It's been a tough journey - I learnt on the job, worked 48 hours without sleeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonali-bendre/i-am-a-completely-self-made-person-it-s-been-a-tough-journey-i-learnt/) [Sonali Bendre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonali-bendre/) > [Anyone can sleep with a guy in 24-48 hours, but you're sending the wrong signal to the guy if you do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/anyone-can-sleep-with-a-guy-in-24-48-hours-but-you-re-sending-the/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) [Browse all 44 48 hours quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/48-hours/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with an eye on the wishes of our \"coalition partners.\" It has been fought to assuage the Arab \"street.\" It has been fought to satisfy the diplomats rather than the generals... Why have we not loosed the B-52s and the B-2s to carpet-bomb Taliban positions? And why are we giving the Taliban sanctuary in their cities? 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