--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because the US has control of the sea…" description: "\"Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only country in the world really not to have a war..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png" --- # Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has… ![“Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only country in the world really not to have a war fought on its territory since the time of the Civil War ... Therefore we can afford mistakes that would kill other countries. And therefore we can…” quote by George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png) > “Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only country in the world really not to have a war fought on its territory since the time of the Civil War ... Therefore we can afford mistakes that would kill other countries. And therefore we can take risks that they can't ... the core answer to why the United States is like this is we didn't fight World War I and World War II and the Cold War here.” [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America’s geographic and economic advantages let it avoid wars at home, leading to risk‑taking and global influence. **In simple terms:** US safety lets it act boldly. Key Takeaway Leverage strategic advantage responsibly. Themes geopolitics power risk history Mood analytical cautious Type political strategic When to use this quote - foreign policy planning - defense budgeting - international negotiations Key Concepts realism strategic depth global hegemony Questions to Reflect On - Should the US intervene in distant conflicts? - What are the costs of global dominance? A Different Perspective Risk tolerance can lead to overreach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Built](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Control Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-sea-476620/) [Core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/core/) [Countries Risks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-risks-4336853/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Kill Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kill-countries-4336855/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Other countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other-countries/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Territory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/territory/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-afford-4336854/) [War Fought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-fought/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war i](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-i/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [The battle for the mind of Ronald Reagan was like the trench warfare of World War I: never have so many fought so hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/the-battle-for-the-mind-of-ronald-reagan-was-like-the-trench-warfare/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [Usually, there is no equivalent of air traffic control at sea. Some busy areas operate 'traffic separation schemes,' but mostly, ships are treated like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-george/usually-there-is-no-equivalent-of-air-traffic-control-at-sea-some/) [Rose George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-george/) > [“China needs to control these sea routes to guarantee its own oil supplies. Although that is understandable, it comes at a cost to Japan.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declan-hayes/china-needs-to-control-these-sea-routes-to-guarantee-its-own-oil/) [Declan Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/declan-hayes/) > [Events of October 1962 indicated, as they had all through history, that control of the sea means security. Control of the seas can mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/events-of-october-1962-indicated-as-they-had-all-through-history-that/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Our present control of the sea is so absolute that it is sometimes taken for granted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-w-nimitz/our-present-control-of-the-sea-is-so-absolute-that-it-is-sometimes/) [Chester W. Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) > [The next world war will be fought with stones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-next-world-war-will-be-fought-with-stones/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“It is the untold story of this war and it is the story of every war ever fought. Greedy men seeing someone weaker with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-c-humphreys/it-is-the-untold-story-of-this-war-and-it-is-the-story-of-every-war/) [C.C. Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-c-humphreys/) > [“Could it have nothing to do with the soldier and everything to do with the type of war now being fought?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-finkel/could-it-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-soldier-and-everything-to-do/) [David Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-finkel/) > [A bad war is fought with a good mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-bad-war-is-fought-with-a-good-mind/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“It is an up close and personal war, fought with savage weapons,” Odalon said. “At first when you’re young and dumb and you hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/it-is-an-up-close-and-personal-war-fought-with-savage-weapons-odalon/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Every war ever fought, right there in front of you. Because it's always the same. When you fire that first shot, no matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-harness/every-war-ever-fought-right-there-in-front-of-you-because-it-s-always/) [Peter Harness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-harness/) > [The Civil War was fought in 10,000 places, from Valverde, New Mexico, and Tullahoma, Tennessee, to St. Albans, Vermont, and Fernandina on the Florida…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-catton/the-civil-war-was-fought-in-10-000-places-from-valverde-new-mexico/) [Bruce Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-catton/) > [Every battle, every war - is fought for things worth dying for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-jolly/every-battle-every-war-is-fought-for-things-worth-dying-for/) [Arthur M. Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-jolly/) > [“Just as a war fought in winter demands different behavior and equipment from a war in the summer, human beings must learn to respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/just-as-a-war-fought-in-winter-demands-different-behavior-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Sometimes an event happens that is so great the world is never the same again after it. In the twentieth century one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-deary/sometimes-an-event-happens-that-is-so-great-the-world-is-never-the/) [Terry Deary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-deary/) ## More by George Friedman > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“In Geo-Politics, a nation has no permanent allies or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/in-geo-politics-a-nation-has-no-permanent-allies-or-permanent-enemies/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Galvanized people can do careless things. It is in the extreme and emotion-laden moments that distance and coolness are most required. I am tempted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/galvanized-people-can-do-careless-things-it-is-in-the-extreme-and/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [The Chinese have a long history of slaughtering each other without bothering their neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-chinese-have-a-long-history-of-slaughtering-each-other-without/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Italy spills over to everything. Italy is a huge banking system. It has been the major banking system in Eastern Europe. It's worked with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/italy-spills-over-to-everything-italy-is-a-huge-banking-system-it-has/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [If you go through the list of things that are not possible you're left with a very finite amount of possibilities. The fancy name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-go-through-the-list-of-things-that-are-not-possible-you-re/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [But every time new powers emerge they have to find their balance. New powers are emerging, old powers are declining. It's not that process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/but-every-time-new-powers-emerge-they-have-to-find-their-balance-new/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ We cannot anticipate the moral circumstances under which we will live. And therefore \[I refuse\] to say that I will not live in a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/we-cannot-anticipate-the-moral-circumstances-under-which-we-will-live/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“While you and I are allowed the luxury of our pain, president isn't. A president must take into account how his citizens feel and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/while-you-and-i-are-allowed-the-luxury-of-our-pain-president-isn-t-a/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ War is an extraordinary condition to be in - to be, for example, in the combat information center of a warship \[and behaving\] as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/war-is-an-extraordinary-condition-to-be-in-to-be-for-example-in-the/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [When you're young and going to war, it's a genuinely exciting moment. You are going to risk yourself. On the battlefield, you are suddenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/when-you-re-young-and-going-to-war-it-s-a-genuinely-exciting-moment/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [“The Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue demands that one honor one's mother and father. That is not about calling home. It is about this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-fifth-commandment-of-the-decalogue-demands-that-one-honor-one-s/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [If you lose yourself to rage in the complexity of battle, you are going to be lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/if-you-lose-yourself-to-rage-in-the-complexity-of-battle-you-are/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Constraint theory asks: What is the price for doing this? Now one way around constraint theory is declaring your enemy crazy. Crazy and stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/constraint-theory-asks-what-is-the-price-for-doing-this-now-one-way/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) [Explore all 91 George Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) [Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only country in the world really not to have a war fought on its territory since the time of the Civil War ... Therefore we can afford mistakes that would kill other countries. And therefore we can take risks that they can't ... the core answer to why the United States is like this is we didn't fight World War I and World War II and the Cold War here.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Friedman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-because-the-us-has-built-up-its/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-because-the-us-has-built-up-its/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/george-friedman-7436_answers_because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-be_2933543.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because the US has control of the sea. Because the US has built up its wealth. Because the US is the only…” — George Friedman", "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": "George Friedman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Because the US has control of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-because-the-us-has-built-up-its/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/because-the-us-has-control-of-the-sea-because-the-us-has-built-up-its/#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 } } ] } ```