--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was sometimes feebly argued, as the…" description: "\"“It was sometimes feebly argued, as the political and military war against this enemy ran into difficulties, that it was 'a war without end.' I never s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/christopher-hitchens-117_al-qaeda_it-was-sometimes-feebly-argued-as-the-po_660479.jpg" --- # It was sometimes feebly argued, as the political and… ![“It was sometimes feebly argued, as the political and military war against this enemy ran into difficulties, that it was 'a war without end.' I never saw the point of this plaintive objection. The war against superstition and the totalitarian mentality is an endless war. In protean forms, it is…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/christopher-hitchens-117_al-qaeda_it-was-sometimes-feebly-argued-as-the-po_660479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/christopher-hitchens-117_al-qaeda_it-was-sometimes-feebly-argued-as-the-po_660479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61a/christopher-hitchens-117_al-qaeda_it-was-sometimes-feebly-argued-as-the-po_660479.jpg) > ““It was sometimes feebly argued, as the political and military war against this enemy ran into difficulties, that it was 'a war without end.' I never saw the point of this plaintive objection. The war against superstition and the totalitarian mentality is an endless war. In protean forms, it is fought and refought in every country and every generation. In bin Ladenism we confront again the awful combination of the highly authoritarian personality with the chaotically nihilist and anarchic one. Temporary victories can be registered against this, but not permanent ones. As Bertold Brecht's character says over the corpse of the terrible Arturo Ui, the bitch that bore him is always in heat. But it is in this struggle that we develop the muscles and sinews that enable us to defend civilization, and the moral courage to name it as something worth fighting for.”” [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. The fight against superstition and authoritarianism is perpetual, requiring continual effort and moral courage to protect civilization. **In simple terms:** Endless fight against oppressive ideas needs constant vigilance. Key Takeaway Keep defending truth and moral values. Themes politics philosophy resistance morality civilization Mood determined serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - education - policy making - community organizing Key Concepts authoritarianism superstition totalitarianism moral courage cultural struggle Questions to Reflect On - How can societies sustain morale in endless ideological battles? - What personal practices reinforce moral courage? A Different Perspective The struggle can lead to fatigue and disillusionment without hope. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Al qaeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/al-qaeda/) [Authoritarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism/) [Bertold Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bertold-brecht-653058/) [Bin laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bin-laden/) [Brecht Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brecht-character-5263917/) [Endless war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless-war/) [Islamism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamism/) [Ladenism Confront](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ladenism-confront-5263915/) [Moral courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-courage/) [Nihilism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nihilism/) [Osama bin laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/osama-bin-laden/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Superstition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstition/) [Totalitarian Mentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarian-mentality-5263916/) [Totalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totalitarianism/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terror/) [War-in-afghanistan-2001](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-in-afghanistan-2001-203283/) ## Related quotes > [“First of all, they came to take the gypsies and I was happy because they pilfered. Then they came to take the Jews and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertold-brecht/first-of-all-they-came-to-take-the-gypsies-and-i-was-happy-because/) [Bertold Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertold-brecht/) > [I'm from East Berlin. I grew up in the Bertold Brecht, Kurt Weil tradition, also in the old hippie tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-hagen/i-m-from-east-berlin-i-grew-up-in-the-bertold-brecht-kurt-weil/) [Nina Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-hagen/) > [“So this general with the background in intelligence who is supposed to conquer Afghanistan can't even figure out what Rolling Stone is? We're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/so-this-general-with-the-background-in-intelligence-who-is-supposed/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [“It is time we accept there’s no Cronkite moment for Afghanistan. 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Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Al qaeda quotes > [There's overwhelming evidence... circumstantial and otherwise, to suggest a connection between Iraq and al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/there-s-overwhelming-evidence-circumstantial-and-otherwise-to-suggest/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Critics have stepped up their attacks on the President for authorizing the National Security Agency to listen to international communications of known al Qaeda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/critics-have-stepped-up-their-attacks-on-the-president-for/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [“I do not go to church. I don’t go to Christian church or Jew church or any other church. I don’t go to church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-do-not-go-to-church-i-don-t-go-to-christian-church-or-jew-church-or/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The people who illegally cross into the country are from countries that have very close ties to al Qaeda, whether it's Yemen or Afghanistan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/the-people-who-illegally-cross-into-the-country-are-from-countries/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [The White House was signaling that the threat posed by Saddam Hussein was of such urgency that it had priority over the crushing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-graham/the-white-house-was-signaling-that-the-threat-posed-by-saddam-hussein/) [Bob Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-graham/) > [I was on the front lines in the Cold War, and I was on the front lines in the fight against Al Qaeda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-haspel/i-was-on-the-front-lines-in-the-cold-war-and-i-was-on-the-front-lines/) [Gina Haspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-haspel/) > [If you don't understand what al Qaeda was trying to do on 9/11, if you don't have a sense of who Osama bin Laden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/if-you-don-t-understand-what-al-qaeda-was-trying-to-do-on-9-11-if-you/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/some-have-argued-that-the-president-is-required-to-get-permission/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The idea the president of the United States was warned that Al-Qaeda was going to attack the United States and did nothing about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/the-idea-the-president-of-the-united-states-was-warned-that-al-qaeda/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [There's more evil in the charts than an Al-Qaeda suggestion box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bailey/there-s-more-evil-in-the-charts-than-an-al-qaeda-suggestion-box/) [Bill Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bailey/) > [Muslim leaders around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/muslim-leaders-around-the-globe-have-to-continue-working-with-us-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Mistreatment of al Qaeda members and their friends and hangers-on is something I number among my moral concerns. But it's number 1,000,000,001.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/mistreatment-of-al-qaeda-members-and-their-friends-and-hangers-on-is/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [(The United States) is the same as al-Qaeda, under a different color flag, calling on the name a different God to sanction and approve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremiah-wright/the-united-states-is-the-same-as-al-qaeda-under-a-different-color/) [Jeremiah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremiah-wright/) [Browse all 360 Al qaeda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/al-qaeda/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was sometimes feebly argued, as the political and military war against this enemy ran into difficulties, that it was 'a war without end.' I never saw the point of this plaintive objection. The war against superstition and the totalitarian mentality is an endless war. In protean forms, it is fought and refought in every country and every generation. In bin Ladenism we confront again the awful combination of the highly authoritarian personality with the chaotically nihilist and anarchic one. Temporary victories can be registered against this, but not permanent ones. As Bertold Brecht's character says over the corpse of the terrible Arturo Ui, the bitch that bore him is always in heat. 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