--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: -“I remember my father telling me about…" description: "\"“-“I remember my father telling me about England’s redrawing of India’s boundaries when it became independent. They wanted to separate the Hindu from t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/david-baldacci-1558_conflicts_i-remember-my-father-telling-me-about-en_2178311.jpg" --- # -“I remember my father telling me about England’s… ![“-“I remember my father telling me about England’s redrawing of India’s boundaries when it became independent. They wanted to separate the Hindu from the Muslim, but they used outdated maps. Twelve million people had to relocate because the Brits screwed it up so badly. And a half million people…” quote by David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/david-baldacci-1558_conflicts_i-remember-my-father-telling-me-about-en_2178311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/david-baldacci-1558_conflicts_i-remember-my-father-telling-me-about-en_2178311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/david-baldacci-1558_conflicts_i-remember-my-father-telling-me-about-en_2178311.jpg) > ““-“I remember my father telling me about England’s redrawing of India’s boundaries when it became independent. They wanted to separate the Hindu from the Muslim, but they used outdated maps. Twelve million people had to relocate because the Brits screwed it up so badly. And a half million people died during the resulting chaos. And before that, Iraq was unilaterally cobbled together, causing many of the conflicts we see today. There are dozens of such examples. The strong countries smashing the weaker ones and then avoiding responsibility later for the very problems they caused.” -“You keep proving my point, Tom, that we’re rotten to the core.” -“My point is we never learn!”” [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques colonial border drawing, causing massive displacement and conflict, and notes powerful nations' avoidance of responsibility. **In simple terms:** Colonial borders cause suffering; powerful nations dodge blame. Key Takeaway Recognize historical causes of modern conflicts. Themes history colonialism responsibility conflict Mood reflective somber Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - educational curricula - humanitarian work - peacebuilding Key Concepts geopolitics legacy of empire ethical accountability Questions to Reflect On - How can we address lingering colonial impacts? - What responsibilities do former powers hold? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies complex historical factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conflicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicts/) [Conflicts Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicts-today-4693531/) [Hinduism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hinduism/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Iraq Unilaterally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq-unilaterally-4480372/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Telling England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-england-4693532/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [A little voice keeps telling me an Aston Martin really isn't me, but a louder voice is telling me that, as an England international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-crouch/a-little-voice-keeps-telling-me-an-aston-martin-really-isn-t-me-but-a/) [Peter Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-crouch/) > [The international community has to overcome its differences and find solutions to the conflicts of today in South Sudan, Syria, Central African Republic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-guterres/the-international-community-has-to-overcome-its-differences-and-find/) [Antonio Guterres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-guterres/) > [Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations' mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/going-in-and-occupying-iraq-thus-unilaterally-exceeding-the-united/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [This is a time when the United States should be standing tall. There is no other leader in the world today. We shouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/this-is-a-time-when-the-united-states-should-be-standing-tall-there/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [Any historian worth their salt should be aware of wars, conflicts, catastrophes. They happen. This is part of the panorama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-davies/any-historian-worth-their-salt-should-be-aware-of-wars-conflicts/) [Norman Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-davies/) > [The mind can be the harshest battleground. It can be the place where the greatest conflicts are carried out. Its where half of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-mind-can-be-the-harshest-battleground-it-can-be-the-place-where/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Conflicts get to us all. The difference is how you overcome them and who you overcome them with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-wagner/conflicts-get-to-us-all-the-difference-is-how-you-overcome-them-and/) [Jacob Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-wagner/) > [“From now on, conflicts would likely be decided as a clash between one abomination and another, powers against powers. And the victor would devour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-godai/from-now-on-conflicts-would-likely-be-decided-as-a-clash-between-one/) [Yu Godai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-godai/) > [Like other conflict-affected regions, Africa continues to see religious, ethnic, and politically motivated conflicts. Extremist violence is now entrenched in several parts of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tedros-adhanom/like-other-conflict-affected-regions-africa-continues-to-see/) [Tedros Adhanom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tedros-adhanom/) > [“So if your Story doesn’t change your lead character irrevocably from beginning to end, no one will deeply care about it. It may entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-coyne/so-if-your-story-doesn-t-change-your-lead-character-irrevocably-from/) [Shawn Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-coyne/) > [“Be quick to resolve conflicts before they mature to become wars. The energetic crocodile was once a delicate egg!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/be-quick-to-resolve-conflicts-before-they-mature-to-become-wars-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“What causes Conflict? Agnan (Delusionary knowledge, Knowledge other than the True Self).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/what-causes-conflict-agnan-delusionary-knowledge-knowledge-other-than/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [I've been to many countries and watched a number of conflicts or their residue, and I've served in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-peters/i-ve-been-to-many-countries-and-watched-a-number-of-conflicts-or/) [Ralph Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-peters/) > [We still seek to solve conflicts with 'judgement' instead of designing the way forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/we-still-seek-to-solve-conflicts-with-judgement-instead-of-designing/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) ## More by David Baldacci > [Why waste time trying to discover the truth, when you can so easily create it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/why-waste-time-trying-to-discover-the-truth-when-you-can-so-easily/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It's the hardest thing in the world to put yourself in someone else's place, try to really feel what they feel, figure out why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-the-hardest-thing-in-the-world-to-put-yourself-in-someone-else-s/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“That’s what’s called a ‘valley fill.’ What they fill it with the coal companies call ‘overburden.’ That’s basically everything they tore off the land:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-what-s-called-a-valley-fill-what-they-fill-it-with-the-coal/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [But if I worried too much about publishers' expectations, I'd probably paralyze myself and not be able to write anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/but-if-i-worried-too-much-about-publishers-expectations-i-d-probably/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [That's what civilization sometimes did to threats, real or perceived. They walled them off. Us against them. Survival of the fittest. You die so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-what-civilization-sometimes-did-to-threats-real-or-perceived/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“You could have been a great scientist or something. Or a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/you-could-have-been-a-great-scientist-or-something-or-a-writer/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“That’s good to hear, Billy. Kids have enough shit to deal with without somebody who is supposed to love them beating the crap out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/that-s-good-to-hear-billy-kids-have-enough-shit-to-deal-with-without/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [Most people associate reading with laying on the beach. They don't see that it's crucial for a democracy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/most-people-associate-reading-with-laying-on-the-beach-they-don-t-see/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm ever curious about the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-ever-curious-about-the-world/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“There was a time when Stone would have rated a platoon of crackerjack killers coming for him by land, sea and air. Those days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/there-was-a-time-when-stone-would-have-rated-a-platoon-of-crackerjack/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm driven to go out and find new things to write about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-driven-to-go-out-and-find-new-things-to-write-about/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It's hard, Cotton. To let yourself love something you know you may never have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/it-s-hard-cotton-to-let-yourself-love-something-you-know-you-may/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I'm a wicked ping-pong player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-m-a-wicked-ping-pong-player/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“He could compartmentalize at an astonishing level. It came from not giving a shit. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/he-could-compartmentalize-at-an-astonishing-level-it-came-from-not/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [“two unconscious, bleeding men and then over at the girl behind the bar. She was staring at him openmouthed, the glass-rag and beer mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/two-unconscious-bleeding-men-and-then-over-at-the-girl-behind-the-bar/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) [Explore all 214 David Baldacci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) ## More Conflicts quotes > [“How we traverse the space between us when conflict arises has a profound effect on the health and longevity of our relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/how-we-traverse-the-space-between-us-when-conflict-arises-has-a/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [We still seek to solve conflicts with 'judgement' instead of designing the way forwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/we-still-seek-to-solve-conflicts-with-judgement-instead-of-designing/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [I've been to many countries and watched a number of conflicts or their residue, and I've served in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-peters/i-ve-been-to-many-countries-and-watched-a-number-of-conflicts-or/) [Ralph Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-peters/) > [“What causes Conflict? Agnan (Delusionary knowledge, Knowledge other than the True Self).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/what-causes-conflict-agnan-delusionary-knowledge-knowledge-other-than/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Be quick to resolve conflicts before they mature to become wars. The energetic crocodile was once a delicate egg!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/be-quick-to-resolve-conflicts-before-they-mature-to-become-wars-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“So if your Story doesn’t change your lead character irrevocably from beginning to end, no one will deeply care about it. It may entertain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-coyne/so-if-your-story-doesn-t-change-your-lead-character-irrevocably-from/) [Shawn Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-coyne/) > [Like other conflict-affected regions, Africa continues to see religious, ethnic, and politically motivated conflicts. Extremist violence is now entrenched in several parts of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tedros-adhanom/like-other-conflict-affected-regions-africa-continues-to-see/) [Tedros Adhanom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tedros-adhanom/) > [“From now on, conflicts would likely be decided as a clash between one abomination and another, powers against powers. And the victor would devour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yu-godai/from-now-on-conflicts-would-likely-be-decided-as-a-clash-between-one/) [Yu Godai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yu-godai/) > [Conflicts get to us all. The difference is how you overcome them and who you overcome them with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-wagner/conflicts-get-to-us-all-the-difference-is-how-you-overcome-them-and/) [Jacob Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-wagner/) > [The mind can be the harshest battleground. It can be the place where the greatest conflicts are carried out. Its where half of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-mind-can-be-the-harshest-battleground-it-can-be-the-place-where/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Any historian worth their salt should be aware of wars, conflicts, catastrophes. They happen. This is part of the panorama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-davies/any-historian-worth-their-salt-should-be-aware-of-wars-conflicts/) [Norman Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-davies/) > [This is a time when the United States should be standing tall. There is no other leader in the world today. We shouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/this-is-a-time-when-the-united-states-should-be-standing-tall-there/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [“We had no problems, no conflicts,” Mars500 Commander Sergei Ryazansky is saying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/we-had-no-problems-no-conflicts-mars500-commander-sergei-ryazansky-is/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Conflicts, even just ones, which in the end can come at the expense of the State of Israel, are things that we must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/conflicts-even-just-ones-which-in-the-end-can-come-at-the-expense-of/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [That is because the conflict with al Qaeda is not governed by the Geneva Conventions, which applies only to international conflicts between states that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/that-is-because-the-conflict-with-al-qaeda-is-not-governed-by-the/) [John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/) [Browse all 346 Conflicts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflicts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“-“I remember my father telling me about England’s redrawing of India’s boundaries when it became independent. They wanted to separate the Hindu from the Muslim, but they used outdated maps. Twelve million people had to relocate because the Brits screwed it up so badly. And a half million people died during the resulting chaos. And before that, Iraq was unilaterally cobbled together, causing many of the conflicts we see today. There are dozens of such examples. 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