--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I respect those who say that the United…" description: "\"“I respect those who say that the United States should simply withdraw from the Middle East, but I don't respect them for anything but their honesty.”\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/christopher-hitchens-117_anti-war_i-respect-those-who-say-that-the-united_2016992.jpg" --- # I respect those who say that the United States should… ![“I respect those who say that the United States should simply withdraw from the Middle East, but I don't respect them for anything but their honesty.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/christopher-hitchens-117_anti-war_i-respect-those-who-say-that-the-united_2016992.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/christopher-hitchens-117_anti-war_i-respect-those-who-say-that-the-united_2016992.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21a/christopher-hitchens-117_anti-war_i-respect-those-who-say-that-the-united_2016992.jpg) > ““I respect those who say that the United States should simply withdraw from the Middle East, but I don't respect them for anything but their honesty.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Honesty about a controversial stance earns respect, even if the stance itself is disagreeable. **In simple terms:** Being honest about a view can earn respect despite disagreement. Key Takeaway Respect honesty, even when you disagree. Themes honesty politics respect controversy integrity Mood critical thoughtful Type ethical political When to use this quote - policy debates - public statements - media interviews Key Concepts ethical consistency political discourse Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities accompany honest but unpopular opinions? - How can we critique ideas without attacking the speaker? A Different Perspective Honesty alone may not justify harmful policies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-war/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Isolationism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolationism/) [Middle east](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [ “That war \[Bosnian war\] in the early 1990s changed a lot for me. I never thought I would see, in Europe, a full-dress reprise… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/that-war-bosnian-war-in-the-early-1990s-changed-a-lot-for-me-i-never/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“If the counsel of the peaceniks had been followed, Kuwait would today be the nineteenth province of Iraq. Bosnia would be a trampled and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/if-the-counsel-of-the-peaceniks-had-been-followed-kuwait-would-today/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Any critique of realism must begin with a sober assessment of the horrors of peace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/any-critique-of-realism-must-begin-with-a-sober-assessment-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The debacle in Iraq has reinforced the realist dictum, disparaged by idealists in the 1990s, that the legacies of geography, history and culture really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/the-debacle-in-iraq-has-reinforced-the-realist-dictum-disparaged-by/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [“He is in many ways quite a right-wing isolationist. 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I am who I am, and I know who I am. I respect what you have to say, but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-williams/i-love-the-confidence-i-am-who-i-am-and-i-know-who-i-am-i-respect/) [Wendy Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-williams/) > [“You may not love her any more, but you respect her. Which is more than I can say for how you feel about me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-reiss/you-may-not-love-her-any-more-but-you-respect-her-which-is-more-than/) [C.D. Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-reiss/) > [I think I just earned the coaches' respect. That's not to say by any stretch that I'm dictating any game plans or coverages or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-vanvleet/i-think-i-just-earned-the-coaches-respect-that-s-not-to-say-by-any/) [Fred VanVleet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-vanvleet/) > [Saying No gains you respect. When you say No, the other person may feel disappointed. But ultimately, they will respect you for taking good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/saying-no-gains-you-respect-when-you-say-no-the-other-person-may-feel/) [Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/) > [People want to hear what I have to say and respect what I say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-capriati/people-want-to-hear-what-i-have-to-say-and-respect-what-i-say/) [Jennifer Capriati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-capriati/) > [Learn to deal with the fact that you are not a perfect person but you are a person that deserves respect and honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pandora-poikilos/learn-to-deal-with-the-fact-that-you-are-not-a-perfect-person-but-you/) [Pandora Poikilos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pandora-poikilos/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. 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