Administration Quote by Edward Snowden
![“The [George W.] Bush administration marked a very serious and profoundly negative turning point - not just for the nation, but for the international order, because we started to govern on the idea of "might makes right." And that's a very old, toxic and infectious idea.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f75/edward-snowden-555_administration_the-george-w-bush-administration-marked_1946512.jpg)
“The [George W.] Bush administration marked a very serious and profoundly negative turning point - not just for the nation, but for the international order, because we started to govern on the idea of "might makes right." And that's a very old, toxic and infectious idea.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview with The Guardian, 2013
He warns that the Bush era embraced a dangerous belief that power justifies actions, harming global stability.
In simple terms: Power should not excuse wrongdoing.
Key Takeaway
Reject might‑makes‑right logic.
Themes
politics
ethics
international relations
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- diplomacy
- human rights advocacy
Key Concepts
realism
moral philosophy
power dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does power influence moral judgments?
- What safeguards can prevent might‑makes‑right thinking?
A Different Perspective
Such belief can be entrenched in institutions, making change hard.
![“I don't think it's going to be related to social or economic policies; it's going to be the fact that [Barack Obama] said let's go forward, not backward, in regard to the violations of law that occurred under the Bush administration.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa4/edward-snowden-555_administration_i-don-t-think-it-s-going-to-be-related-t_2704672.jpg)
![“[Brazil] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data sovereignty."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af7/edward-snowden-555_brazil_brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-n_14906.jpg)
![“There was a real choice when [Barack Obama] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold senior officials to account with the same laws that every other citizen in the country is held to," or "This is a nation that believes in the rule of law."” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/104/edward-snowden-555_accounts_there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obam_27838.jpg)
