--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A missile is a missile. It makes no great…" description: "\"A missile is a missile. It makes no great difference whether you are killed by a missile fired from the Soviet Union or from Cuba.\" — Elie Abel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg" --- # A missile is a missile. It makes no great difference… ![“A missile is a missile. It makes no great difference whether you are killed by a missile fired from the Soviet Union or from Cuba.” quote by Elie Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg) > “A missile is a missile. It makes no great difference whether you are killed by a missile fired from the Soviet Union or from Cuba.” Elie Abel ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Missiles are equally deadly regardless of origin; the focus should be on the threat, not the source. **In simple terms:** All missiles are equally dangerous. Key Takeaway Focus on the danger, not the origin. Themes war deterrence politics danger Mood analytical serious Type political educational When to use this quote - military planning - policy debate - public safety - media reporting Key Concepts nuclear strategy Cold War threat assessment Questions to Reflect On - How do we address missile threats responsibly? - What policies reduce reliance on missiles? A Different Perspective Ignoring political context can oversimplify complex security issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuba/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Missile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missile/) [Soviet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet/) [Soviet union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet-union/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) ## Related quotes > [Let them bomb Japan with that nasty missile. Their missile cannot load a nuclear warhead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/let-them-bomb-japan-with-that-nasty-missile-their-missile-cannot-load/) Shintaro Ishihara > [“It's funny how these days, when every household has its own inter-continental ballistic missile, you hardly even think about them. . . . A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-tan/it-s-funny-how-these-days-when-every-household-has-its-own-inter/) [Shaun Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-tan/) > [A cruise missile is more important than Head Start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/a-cruise-missile-is-more-important-than-head-start/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Assign Yogi Berra to Cape Canaveral; he could handle any missile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/assign-yogi-berra-to-cape-canaveral-he-could-handle-any-missile/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [“The greatest missile in the world is useless...unless it's targeted. A torpedo is adrift unless it has someplace to go. An arrow is pointless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/the-greatest-missile-in-the-world-is-useless-unless-it-s-targeted-a/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [The point is, once they have a missile that can hit the United States, we are now back in the kind of game we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/the-point-is-once-they-have-a-missile-that-can-hit-the-united-states/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [You should be a missile and go and destroy your opponent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlson-gracie/you-should-be-a-missile-and-go-and-destroy-your-opponent/) [Carlson Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlson-gracie/) > [What happened in the missile crisis in October 1962 has been prettified to make it look as if acts of courage and thoughtfulness abounded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/what-happened-in-the-missile-crisis-in-october-1962-has-been/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Even an inaccurate missile is quite a deterrent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-weinberger/even-an-inaccurate-missile-is-quite-a-deterrent/) [Caspar Weinberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-weinberger/) > [If the present White House leadership runs the gauntlet of common sense and the people's will for peace and challenges us by starting MX…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitriy-ustinov/if-the-present-white-house-leadership-runs-the-gauntlet-of-common/) Dmitriy Ustinov > [Upon my word, I think the truth is the hardest missile one can be pelted with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/upon-my-word-i-think-the-truth-is-the-hardest-missile-one-can-be/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Britain has invented a new missile. It's called the civil servant - it doesn't work and it can't be fired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-walker/britain-has-invented-a-new-missile-it-s-called-the-civil-servant-it/) Walter Walker > [I actually have the Arcade PC at home, and it has 5,500 games on it. Everything from the old school, Galaga, Tron, Missile Command,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-corrales/i-actually-have-the-arcade-pc-at-home-and-it-has-5-500-games-on-it/) [Diego Corrales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-corrales/) > [You seemed to me to be soaring far up in the blue - to be sailing in the bright light, over the heads of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/you-seemed-to-me-to-be-soaring-far-up-in-the-blue-to-be-sailing-in/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I'm proud to say that there is not a single Russian nuclear missile pointed at an American child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-m-proud-to-say-that-there-is-not-a-single-russian-nuclear-missile/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More by Elie Abel > [No blare of trumpets announces a modern crisis. In these matter-of-fact times, a telephone call will do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/no-blare-of-trumpets-announces-a-modern-crisis-in-these-matter-of/) Elie Abel > [ John F. Kennedy:\] Above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring down an adversary to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/john-f-kennedy-above-all-while-defending-our-own-vital-interests/) Elie Abel > [Unlike the American President's chronic problem of finding ways to give away the country's permanent economic surplus, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's was the problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/unlike-the-american-president-s-chronic-problem-of-finding-ways-to/) Elie Abel Explore all 4 Elie Abel quotes ## More Cuba quotes > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [There is us living the Cuban experience that we believe is ours. We do not believe that it is perfect, but it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-castro-espin/there-is-us-living-the-cuban-experience-that-we-believe-is-ours-we-do/) [Alejandro Castro Espin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-castro-espin/) > [Part of me believes that Beyonce and Jay-Z were naive when they chose to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary in Cuba. However, as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/part-of-me-believes-that-beyonce-and-jay-z-were-naive-when-they-chose/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Kennedy had made a mess in Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. He had to do something to look good. The Apollo program of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/kennedy-had-made-a-mess-in-cuba-at-the-bay-of-pigs-he-had-to-do/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [“The war that killed my grandfather and great-uncles and thousands of other blacks is only a footnote in our history books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-garc-a/the-war-that-killed-my-grandfather-and-great-uncles-and-thousands-of/) [Cristina García](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-garc-a/) > [I don't want anything from Cuba. I want them to be free and enjoy the things I enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/i-don-t-want-anything-from-cuba-i-want-them-to-be-free-and-enjoy-the/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greece-is-a-sort-of-american-vassal-the-netherlands-is-the-country-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Clearly if the United States' relationship with Cuba changed, which would require a regime change inside Cuba, if Cuba moved towards a more democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/clearly-if-the-united-states-relationship-with-cuba-changed-which/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Our Cuba policy was a major obstacle to getting things done in the hemisphere and a source of tension around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/our-cuba-policy-was-a-major-obstacle-to-getting-things-done-in-the/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) > [Fidel Castro outlasted U.S. presidents determined to overthrow him, survived the collapse of the communist bloc that sustained him and outlived many of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-gjelten/fidel-castro-outlasted-u-s-presidents-determined-to-overthrow-him/) [Tom Gjelten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-gjelten/) > [Cuba forces in Angola gave a real shot in the arm to the liberation movements, and it also was a lesson to the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/cuba-forces-in-angola-gave-a-real-shot-in-the-arm-to-the-liberation/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's a growing consensus that the best way to defeat communism in Cuba is to get its citizens hooked on American goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/there-s-a-growing-consensus-that-the-best-way-to-defeat-communism-in/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [I have my great grandmother's recipe for black beans, all the way from Cuba, and I know how to make those. I'm actually pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-pino/i-have-my-great-grandmother-s-recipe-for-black-beans-all-the-way-from/) [Danny Pino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-pino/) > [A whole series of changes that are in the code, are in the laws of the United States. If Cuba changes its position toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/a-whole-series-of-changes-that-are-in-the-code-are-in-the-laws-of-the/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) [Browse all 654 Cuba quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuba/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A missile is a missile. It makes no great difference whether you are killed by a missile fired from the Soviet Union or from Cuba.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elie Abel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great-difference-whether-you-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cuba" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great-difference-whether-you-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/elie-abel-68411_cuba_a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great_652109.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A missile is a missile. It makes no great difference whether you are killed by a missile fired from the…” — Elie Abel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elie Abel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-abel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A missile is a missile. It...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great-difference-whether-you-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-abel/a-missile-is-a-missile-it-makes-no-great-difference-whether-you-are/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```