Adversaries Quote by David E. Hoffman
![“When you look back at the fight against Communism, one thing that is striking is the degree to which we [the United States] were carried on by our own values. One of the real challenges of the new era is going to be to maintain those values and not adopt those of our adversaries.” quote by David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e1e/david-e-hoffman-43835_adversaries_when-you-look-back-at-the-fight-against_757896.jpg)
“When you look back at the fight against Communism, one thing that is striking is the degree to which we [the United States] were carried on by our own values. One of the real challenges of the new era is going to be to maintain those values and not adopt those of our adversaries.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race, 2009
The United States fought Communism driven by its own principles, and must preserve those principles rather than mimic foes.
In simple terms: America’s fight was value‑driven; keep those values, not enemy ways.
Key Takeaway
Guard core values, resist copying adversaries.
Themes
values
ideology
national identity
geopolitics
Mood
reflective
determined
cautious
Type
political
historical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- policy formulation
- education curricula
- foreign diplomacy
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Cold War
moral leadership
cultural resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- How can a nation uphold its ideals when faced with external pressure?
- What mechanisms protect values from erosion?
A Different Perspective
Values can be contested internally, making preservation difficult.
![“[we are] going to continue to fight communism. Now I am going to tell you how we are not going to fight communism. We are not going to transform our fine FBI into a Gestapo secret police. That is what some people would like to do. We are not going to try to control what our people read and say and…” quote by Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/299/harry-s-truman-898_cold-war_we-are-going-to-continue-to-fight-commun_1590230.jpg)
![“We have got to fight it [Communism] with something better, not try to conceal the thinking of our own people. They are part of America. And even if they think ideas that are contrary to ours, their right to say them, their right to record them, and their right to have them at places where they are…” quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/604/dwight-d-eisenhower-499_america_we-have-got-to-fight-it-communism-with-s_966648.jpg)
![“I think his [Reagan's] policy toward the Soviet Union was more risky than most people realize, and it was risky because of the paranoia and fear among the isolated old guard in Moscow.” quote by David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ac/david-e-hoffman-43835_fear_i-think-his-reagan-s-policy-toward-the-s_20678.jpg)
![“I do not think he [Reagan] put names and faces together but for a small group of people. There were a few, perhaps half a dozen reporters, that Reagan recognized, including my colleague Lou Cannon, and some from television and the wire services. The rest of us were faces.” quote by David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b9c/david-e-hoffman-43835_cannons_i-do-not-think-he-reagan-put-names-and-f_989602.jpg)
![“He [Reagan] was who he was, and it was not complicated. You didn't get a different person in an interview.” quote by David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c3e/david-e-hoffman-43835_complicated_he-reagan-was-who-he-was-and-it-was-not_1841765.jpg)
![“I see in [George H. W.] Bush a striving to be Reagan-like in the sense of having a big vision, and eschewing small details.” quote by David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/db3/david-e-hoffman-43835_bigs_i-see-in-george-h-w-bush-a-striving-to-b_2809498.jpg)
