--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is indefensible on every grounds…" description: "\"War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.\" — Eugene McCarthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg" --- # War is indefensible on every grounds, military and… ![“War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.” quote by Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg) > “War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.” [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War cannot be justified on any basis—military, economic, diplomatic, or moral. **In simple terms:** War is unjust everywhere. Key Takeaway Reject war on all grounds. Themes peace ethics politics Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy debates - peace protests - government decisions Key Concepts just war theory human cost Questions to Reflect On - Is any war ever morally permissible? - What alternatives exist to conflict? A Different Perspective Some argue war can be necessary for defense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diplomatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomatic/) [Diplomatic Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomatic-moral-5876699/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Indefensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefensible-416655/) [Indefensible Grounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indefensible-grounds-5876698/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-economic-890291/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Indefensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-indefensible-5876697/) ## Related quotes > [Never has so much military and economic and diplomatic power been used so ineffectively, and if after all of this time, and all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/never-has-so-much-military-and-economic-and-diplomatic-power-been/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [I recently returned from a trip overseas that included deals for more than $350 billion worth of military and economic investment in the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-recently-returned-from-a-trip-overseas-that-included-deals-for-more/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Many of us in the West have come to feel that the development of technology in the military and economic fields has produced a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-healey/many-of-us-in-the-west-have-come-to-feel-that-the-development-of/) [Denis Healey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-healey/) > [Cities can be rebuilt, industries can be rebuilt, what really matters are strategy forces, military forces and the cadres leaders, political, military and economic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pipes/cities-can-be-rebuilt-industries-can-be-rebuilt-what-really-matters/) [Richard Pipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pipes/) > [The Oxford manner is, alas, indefinable; I was going to say indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-baldwin-ross/the-oxford-manner-is-alas-indefinable-i-was-going-to-say-indefensible/) [Robert Baldwin Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-baldwin-ross/) > [I made a big mistake. It is indefensible and I am sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-made-a-big-mistake-it-is-indefensible-and-i-am-sorry/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I believe that the arts of a culture are terribly important and yet almost indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakin-matthews/i-believe-that-the-arts-of-a-culture-are-terribly-important-and-yet/) [Dakin Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakin-matthews/) > [Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/every-journalist-who-is-not-too-stupid-or-too-full-of-himself-to-2/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [You can't defend the indefensible - anything you say sounds self-serving and hypocritical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/you-can-t-defend-the-indefensible-anything-you-say-sounds-self/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Public school system status quo is indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/public-school-system-status-quo-is-indefensible/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Documentary makers use other people's lives as their raw material, and that is morally indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/documentary-makers-use-other-people-s-lives-as-their-raw-material-and/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [My personal opinion is that life begins at the point of conception, and abortion is morally indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-rees-mogg/my-personal-opinion-is-that-life-begins-at-the-point-of-conception/) [Jacob Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-rees-mogg/) > [“separation of church from mission is theologically indefensible. More”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesslie-newbigin/separation-of-church-from-mission-is-theologically-indefensible-more/) [Lesslie Newbigin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesslie-newbigin/) > [In our time political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-our-time-political-speech-and-writing-are-largely-the-defense-of-3/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“The truth about life is complicated, indefensible and embarrassing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-weinle/the-truth-about-life-is-complicated-indefensible-and-embarrassing/) [Alex Weinle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-weinle/) ## More by Eugene McCarthy > [I'm kind of an accidental instrument, really, through which I hope that the judgment and the will of this nation can be expressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/i-m-kind-of-an-accidental-instrument-really-through-which-i-hope-that/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [Whatever is morally necessary must be made politically possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/whatever-is-morally-necessary-must-be-made-politically-possible/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [Let us pick up again these lost strands and weave them again into the fabric of America, sort out the music from the sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/let-us-pick-up-again-these-lost-strands-and-weave-them-again-into-the/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [Broken things are powerful."Things about to break are stronger still.The last shot from the brittle bow is truest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/broken-things-are-powerful-things-about-to-break-are-stronger-still/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [Have you ever tried to split sawdust?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/have-you-ever-tried-to-split-sawdust/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [In politics one may remain aloof and become irrelevant or get involved and get corrupted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/in-politics-one-may-remain-aloof-and-become-irrelevant-or-get/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [We do not need presidents who are bigger than the country, but rather ones who speak for it and support it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/we-do-not-need-presidents-who-are-bigger-than-the-country-but-rather/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [The polls show that 10 percent of the public are ready to vote for me even though they don't know I'm running. We hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/the-polls-show-that-10-percent-of-the-public-are-ready-to-vote-for-me/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [We don't declare war any more; we declare national defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/we-don-t-declare-war-any-more-we-declare-national-defense/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [Never say anything in a national campaign that anyone might remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/never-say-anything-in-a-national-campaign-that-anyone-might-remember/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [One thing about a pig, he thinks he's warm if his nose is warm. I saw a bunch of pigs one time that had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/one-thing-about-a-pig-he-thinks-he-s-warm-if-his-nose-is-warm-i-saw-a/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [There are two ways that you can gain territory from another group. One is by conquest. That's essentially the way we took California from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/there-are-two-ways-that-you-can-gain-territory-from-another-group-one/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [This is, I say, the time for all good men not to go to the aid of their party, but to come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/this-is-i-say-the-time-for-all-good-men-not-to-go-to-the-aid-of-their/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [The function of liberal Republicans is to shoot the wounded after battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/the-function-of-liberal-republicans-is-to-shoot-the-wounded-after/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [The mortician interviewing the corpses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/the-mortician-interviewing-the-corpses/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) [Explore all 38 Eugene McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) ## More Diplomatic quotes > [I don't often want to speak. I try to be a reasonable person and to be diplomatic, but you go to that place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/i-don-t-often-want-to-speak-i-try-to-be-a-reasonable-person-and-to-be/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [This doesn't mean abandoning our values and ideals; wherever we can, it's in our interest to help foster democracy through the diplomatic and economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/this-doesn-t-mean-abandoning-our-values-and-ideals-wherever-we-can-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want a world without war. War never works it just kills. I want my children to never have to have a close contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-martin/i-want-a-world-without-war-war-never-works-it-just-kills-i-want-my/) [Ana Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-martin/) > [Going to war against Iran - whether one calls such a move 'surgical' or 'total' - would be an extremely serious undertaking; with worldwide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/going-to-war-against-iran-whether-one-calls-such-a-move-surgical-or/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [“Jack Bergman, Diplomatic Security Service.” “Why”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-emmett/jack-bergman-diplomatic-security-service-why/) [Patrick Emmett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-emmett/) > [Again, I think we have much greater diplomatic weight by having all of us sit on the same side of the table wanting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/again-i-think-we-have-much-greater-diplomatic-weight-by-having-all-of/) [Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/) > [Honduras is strongly anti-Communist, maintains no diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, and has provided vital support for United States-backed rebels fighting to overthrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/honduras-is-strongly-anti-communist-maintains-no-diplomatic-relations/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/any-country-that-grants-asylum-to-snowden-risks-retaliation-from-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it. A great power like the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/an-alliance-is-like-a-chain-it-is-not-made-stronger-by-adding-weak/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Divorce: a resumption of diplomatic relations and rectification of boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/divorce-a-resumption-of-diplomatic-relations-and-rectification-of/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) > [I worry about the lack of experience that Rex Tillerson has had on the diplomatic front and, frankly, I think that's true for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-worry-about-the-lack-of-experience-that-rex-tillerson-has-had-on/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [Become an ambassador of peace in your own life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/become-an-ambassador-of-peace-in-your-own-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't care about controversies. I am a young woman with an opinion about certain things. I can't be diplomatic. I am a feminist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonam-kapoor/i-don-t-care-about-controversies-i-am-a-young-woman-with-an-opinion/) [Sonam Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonam-kapoor/) > [I've always been completely autocratic. I've never learned to be diplomatic or democratic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-parker/i-ve-always-been-completely-autocratic-i-ve-never-learned-to-be/) [Alan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-parker/) [Browse all 291 Diplomatic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diplomatic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eugene McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-military-and-economic-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Diplomatic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-military-and-economic-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d29/eugene-mccarthy-16990_diplomatic_war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-mil_2377390.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“War is indefensible on every grounds, military and economic and diplomatic and also on moral.” — Eugene McCarthy", "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": "Eugene McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "War is indefensible on every grounds,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-military-and-economic-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/war-is-indefensible-on-every-grounds-military-and-economic-and/#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 } } ] } ```