--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My experience is that if the military…" description: "\"My experience is that if the military didn't want to use force and was confronted with a president that did, the military would come back with what I w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/george-p-shultz-18551_bombs_my-experience-is-that-if-the-military-di_1842259.jpg" --- # My experience is that if the military didn't want to use… ![“My experience is that if the military didn't want to use force and was confronted with a president that did, the military would come back with what I would call the 'bomb Moscow' scenario. They would say it had to be done with conditions that were so extreme, you obviously wouldn't do it.” quote by George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/george-p-shultz-18551_bombs_my-experience-is-that-if-the-military-di_1842259.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/george-p-shultz-18551_bombs_my-experience-is-that-if-the-military-di_1842259.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a4/george-p-shultz-18551_bombs_my-experience-is-that-if-the-military-di_1842259.jpg) > “My experience is that if the military didn't want to use force and was confronted with a president that did, the military would come back with what I would call the 'bomb Moscow' scenario. They would say it had to be done with conditions that were so extreme, you obviously wouldn't do it.” [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Military may resort to extreme force when political leadership demands it, despite reluctance. **In simple terms:** Extreme scenarios arise under pressure. Key Takeaway Beware political pressure on military. Themes politics military ethics war power dynamics Mood cautious analytical Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - defense planning - public debate - historical analysis Key Concepts Civil‑military relations moral hazard Questions to Reflect On - How should leaders balance authority and restraint? - What safeguards exist? A Different Perspective Moral dilemmas can limit clear decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Moscow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moscow/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) ## Related quotes > [In spite of the fact of my dad telling me that if I did well, I could go to the military, I said, 'No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gillum/in-spite-of-the-fact-of-my-dad-telling-me-that-if-i-did-well-i-could/) [Andrew Gillum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gillum/) > [I did not go to military school. I had an option either a military school or a private school. 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And so the thing that has throughout informed my thinking about international relations is history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/i-m-a-historian-by-training-and-by-conviction-and-so-the-thing-that/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [ I think his \[Reagan's\] policy toward the Soviet Union was more risky than most people realize, and it was risky because of the paranoia… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-hoffman/i-think-his-reagan-s-policy-toward-the-soviet-union-was-more-risky/) [David E. Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-hoffman/) > [“It’s like the fates are conspiring to keep me in Moscow. It’s not enough that Russia has winters brutal enough to decimate its enemies’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-zaires/it-s-like-the-fates-are-conspiring-to-keep-me-in-moscow-it-s-not/) [Anna Zaires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-zaires/) ## More by George P. Shultz > [Ideas matter a lot, the underlying ideas that stand behind policies. When you don't have ideas, your policies are flip-flopping all over the place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/ideas-matter-a-lot-the-underlying-ideas-that-stand-behind-policies/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [If they are too big to fail, make them smaller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/if-they-are-too-big-to-fail-make-them-smaller/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I don't know how you define 'neoconservatism,' but I think it's associated with trying to spread open political systems and democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-don-t-know-how-you-define-neoconservatism-but-i-think-it-s/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Oh, you know. I am secretary of state. My trips aren't successful. I just talk to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/oh-you-know-i-am-secretary-of-state-my-trips-aren-t-successful-i-just/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I like the life of ideas and applying ideas to action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-like-the-life-of-ideas-and-applying-ideas-to-action/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/nothing-ever-gets-settled-in-this-town-a-seething-debating-society-in/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [What we want is scientists who don't become part of the policy discussion: All they do is produce science. If someone becomes an advocate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/what-we-want-is-scientists-who-don-t-become-part-of-the-policy/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It's the Reagan way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/before-you-get-mugged-by-reality-take-out-an-insurance-policy-it-s/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [We have struggled with terrorism for a long time. In the Reagan administration, I was a hawk on the subject. I said terrorism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/we-have-struggled-with-terrorism-for-a-long-time-in-the-reagan/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [The civilized world has a common stake in defeating the terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/the-civilized-world-has-a-common-stake-in-defeating-the-terrorists/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [Nothing ever gets settled in this town (Washington). It's not like running a company or even a university. It's a seething debating society, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/nothing-ever-gets-settled-in-this-town-washington-it-s-not-like/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I think the idea that you would do everything you can to prevent what is coming at you by way of something very disruptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-think-the-idea-that-you-would-do-everything-you-can-to-prevent-what/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [The source of all the energy is the sun. The big challenge is, how do you use all of that energy? Solar power has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/the-source-of-all-the-energy-is-the-sun-the-big-challenge-is-how-do/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [ If somebody had made that \[deal\] to me when I was a businessman, I would have said he proposed to give me the sleeves… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/if-somebody-had-made-that-deal-to-me-when-i-was-a-businessman-i-would/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) > [I've always tried to live in the future and think about things and how to make things better. If you have great-grandchildren around, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-shultz/i-ve-always-tried-to-live-in-the-future-and-think-about-things-and/) [George P. Shultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) [Explore all 34 George P. Shultz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-shultz/) ## More Bombs quotes > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... 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