--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All war is murder, robbery, trickery, and…" description: "\"All war is murder, robbery, trickery, and no nation ever escaped losses of men, prosperity and virility. War knows no victor.\" — David Starr Jordan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/david-starr-jordan-27134_knows_all-war-is-murder-robbery-trickery-and-n_2881918.jpg" --- # All war is murder, robbery, trickery, and no nation ever… ![“All war is murder, robbery, trickery, and no nation ever escaped losses of men, prosperity and virility. War knows no victor.” quote by David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/david-starr-jordan-27134_knows_all-war-is-murder-robbery-trickery-and-n_2881918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/david-starr-jordan-27134_knows_all-war-is-murder-robbery-trickery-and-n_2881918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2bf/david-starr-jordan-27134_knows_all-war-is-murder-robbery-trickery-and-n_2881918.jpg) > “All war is murder, robbery, trickery, and no nation ever escaped losses of men, prosperity and virility. War knows no victor.” [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War brings death, theft, deception, and never truly benefits any nation, leaving lasting loss in people and prosperity. **In simple terms:** War is destructive and offers no real winners. Key Takeaway Recognize war’s true cost and seek peace. Themes war destruction loss morality politics Mood somber critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy debates - military planning - public education - peace activism Key Concepts ethics human cost political theory Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to war can protect societies? - How do societies justify war despite its costs? A Different Perspective Some argue war can be justified for defense or justice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Murder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/murder/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Robbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robbery/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Trickery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trickery/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [He obtained from Congress the right to borrow from the people by selling to it the 'bonds' of States ... and the Government and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/he-obtained-from-congress-the-right-to-borrow-from-the-people-by/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [After crosses and losses men grow humbler and wiser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/after-crosses-and-losses-men-grow-humbler-and-wiser/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In times of war, as everyone knows, who has lived through one, or talked to soldiers when they are allowing themselves to remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/in-times-of-war-as-everyone-knows-who-has-lived-through-one-or-talked/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“Who cares?' she said impatiently, 'it's always one bloody war after another, and one knows the news is all lies anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/who-cares-she-said-impatiently-it-s-always-one-bloody-war-after/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Terrorism has become the systematic weapon of a war that knows no borders or seldom has a face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-chirac/terrorism-has-become-the-systematic-weapon-of-a-war-that-knows-no/) [Jacques Chirac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-chirac/) > [War knows no law except that of might.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/war-knows-no-law-except-that-of-might/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It is but another war somewhere. Who knows what all this fighting to and fro is about? But so it has been since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/it-is-but-another-war-somewhere-who-knows-what-all-this-fighting-to/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [War knows no power. Safe shall be my going, Secretly armed against all death's endeavour; Safe though all safety's lost; safe where men fall;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/war-knows-no-power-safe-shall-be-my-going-secretly-armed-against-all/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-the-dead/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [It is not a war. It is murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-is-not-a-war-it-is-murder/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Unless a nation's life faces peril, war is murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/unless-a-nation-s-life-faces-peril-war-is-murder/) [Mustafa Kemal Ataturk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/) > [War is murder writ large.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/war-is-murder-writ-large/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [It was not war, it was murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-harvey-hill/it-was-not-war-it-was-murder/) [Daniel Harvey Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-harvey-hill/) > [Ez fer war, I call it murder,- There you hev it plain an' flat; I don't want to go no furder Than my Testyment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/ez-fer-war-i-call-it-murder-there-you-hev-it-plain-an-flat-i-don-t/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [“The only difference between war and murder is the number of dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/the-only-difference-between-war-and-murder-is-the-number-of-dead/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) ## More by David Starr Jordan > [There is no real excellence in all this word which can be separated from right living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/there-is-no-real-excellence-in-all-this-word-which-can-be-separated/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [To say no at the right time, and then stand by it, is the first element of success. He is the wise man who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/to-say-no-at-the-right-time-and-then-stand-by-it-is-the-first-element/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [There is no real excellence in all of this world which can be separated from right living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/there-is-no-real-excellence-in-all-of-this-world-which-can-be/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [No one can afford to look downward for his enjoyments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/no-one-can-afford-to-look-downward-for-his-enjoyments/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [When a dog barks at the moon, then it is religion; but when he barks at strangers, it is patriotism!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starr-jordan/when-a-dog-barks-at-the-moon-then-it-is-religion-but-when-he-barks-at/) [David Starr Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starr-jordan/) > [The physiological law of Transfer of Energy is the basis of human success and happiness. 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