--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't want nations feeling like that…" description: "\"I don't want nations feeling like that they can bully ourselves and our allies. I want to have a ballistic defense system so that we can make the world..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/george-w-bush-64_allies_i-don-t-want-nations-feeling-like-that-t_1052319.jpg" --- # I don't want nations feeling like that they can bully… ![“I don't want nations feeling like that they can bully ourselves and our allies. I want to have a ballistic defense system so that we can make the world more peaceful, and at the same time I want to reduce our own nuclear capacities to the level commiserate with keeping the peace.” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/george-w-bush-64_allies_i-don-t-want-nations-feeling-like-that-t_1052319.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/george-w-bush-64_allies_i-don-t-want-nations-feeling-like-that-t_1052319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47c/george-w-bush-64_allies_i-don-t-want-nations-feeling-like-that-t_1052319.jpg) > “I don't want nations feeling like that they can bully ourselves and our allies. I want to have a ballistic defense system so that we can make the world more peaceful, and at the same time I want to reduce our own nuclear capacities to the level commiserate with keeping the peace.” [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates a defensive deterrence strategy to promote peace while reducing nuclear arsenals. **In simple terms:** Promote peace with defense, cut nuclear weapons. Key Takeaway Balance defense with disarmament. Themes security peace deterrence disarmament Mood cautious optimistic Type political strategic When to use this quote - national policy - international negotiations - arms control - peace talks Key Concepts strategic stability mutual assured destruction defense economics Questions to Reflect On - How can a defensive system replace offensive nuclear threats? - What safeguards ensure allies remain protected? A Different Perspective Reducing arsenals may weaken deterrence if allies feel insecure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Bully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bully/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Keeping Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeping-peace/) [Keeping The Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keeping-the-peace/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peaceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peaceful/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-humor/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Egypt has been a partner of the United States over the last 30 years, has been instrumental in keeping the peace in the Middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/egypt-has-been-a-partner-of-the-united-states-over-the-last-30-years/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Certainly, protecting oppressed people, stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/certainly-protecting-oppressed-people-stopping-ethnic-conflict-and/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [We really care about keeping the peace with people around us. We grew differently, that's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-wells/we-really-care-about-keeping-the-peace-with-people-around-us-we-grew/) [Noel Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-wells/) > [“Jesus’ example is one of patience and keeping the peace. He was never argumentative or disrespectful. Never rolled His eyes or sighed with exasperation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-peoples/jesus-example-is-one-of-patience-and-keeping-the-peace-he-was-never/) Lee Peoples > [There's a big difference between keeping the peace, which is something folks do pretty well themselves, and enforcing the law, which is another thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/there-s-a-big-difference-between-keeping-the-peace-which-is-something/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Keeping the peace with the particular man in one's life becomes more essential than battling the mass male culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-faludi/keeping-the-peace-with-the-particular-man-in-one-s-life-becomes-more/) [Susan Faludi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-faludi/) > [Obviously, the United States' own founding principles are self-determination. And I think what the United States and our allies want to do is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-w-tillerson/obviously-the-united-states-own-founding-principles-are-self/) [Rex W. Tillerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-w-tillerson/) > [After months of negotiations, Iran has finally agreed to reduce its nuclear weapons program. Which was great until Putin showed up and said, 'Hi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/after-months-of-negotiations-iran-has-finally-agreed-to-reduce-its/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [No one can tell any nation what it should want. The nation should determine what they want and how to make their nation become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/no-one-can-tell-any-nation-what-it-should-want-the-nation-should/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [I want to get all the nations of the world together, it doesn't matter what colour or creed, and I want to sit them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-want-to-get-all-the-nations-of-the-world-together-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [We want First Nations and these people to be like Canadians on a lot of points of view. Right now, that's not normal that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/we-want-first-nations-and-these-people-to-be-like-canadians-on-a-lot/) [Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/) > [“Religion is reassurance. It is community. It is the conductor that helps orchestrate our lives. It allows you to discover who you are, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/religion-is-reassurance-it-is-community-it-is-the-conductor-that/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prophet-muhammad/do-you-know-what-is-better-than-charity-and-fasting-and-prayer-it-is/) [Prophet Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prophet-muhammad/) > [“...Helen sipped peppermint schnapps and considered the world made of her design. My religion is keeping peace, she thought. It hadn't begun that way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-heathcock/helen-sipped-peppermint-schnapps-and-considered-the-world-made-of-her/) [Alan Heathcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-heathcock/) > [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) ## More by George W. Bush > [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [God speaks through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/god-speaks-through-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/for-diplomacy-to-be-effective-words-must-be-credible-and-no-one-can/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-can-fool-some-of-the-people-all-the-time-and-those-are-the-ones/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-tyrant-has-fallen-and-iraq-is-free/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“One of our energy strategies is to increase the CAFE standards to 35 miles per hour..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/one-of-our-energy-strategies-is-to-increase-the-cafe-standards-to-35/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There's a lot that I want to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-s-a-lot-that-i-want-to-accomplish/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [If he's - the inference is that somehow he thinks slavery is a - is a noble institution I would - I would strongly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-he-s-the-inference-is-that-somehow-he-thinks-slavery-is-a-is-a/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My answer is bring 'em on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/my-answer-is-bring-em-on/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. But there can be no peace if our security depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/as-americans-we-want-peace-we-work-and-sacrifice-for-peace-but-there/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Chanukah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-couldn-t-imagine-somebody-like-osama-bin-laden-understanding-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Explore all 1,717 George W. Bush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More Allies quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) Joseph Joffre > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What would your life be like if your body were your friend and ally?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/what-would-your-life-be-like-if-your-body-were-your-friend-and-ally/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [“Bacteria and viruses were the most effective allies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-hughes-galeano/bacteria-and-viruses-were-the-most-effective-allies/) [Eduardo Hughes Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-hughes-galeano/) > [When black women are down with you and in your corner, you have an ally that will move Heaven and Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/when-black-women-are-down-with-you-and-in-your-corner-you-have-an/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [There is an irreplaceable ally. It's called the United States of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/there-is-an-irreplaceable-ally-it-s-called-the-united-states-of/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [It would have been easier to fight alone with inadequate forces than to have to accept...responsibility for our ally's lack of fighting qualities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kesselring/it-would-have-been-easier-to-fight-alone-with-inadequate-forces-than/) [Albert Kesselring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kesselring/) > [It isn't until you begin to fight in your own cause that you become really committed to winning and become a genuine ally of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/it-isn-t-until-you-begin-to-fight-in-your-own-cause-that-you-become/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [ Again, I hear almost everyday from atheists who write off religion as primitive, premodern nonsense. I summon Aquinas, Augustine, Paul \[of Tarsus\], Teresa of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/again-i-hear-almost-everyday-from-atheists-who-write-off-religion-as/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [My own take on the word "transgender" is that it's an umbrella term for anyone who breaks any rules, laws, guidelines or protocol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/my-own-take-on-the-word-transgender-is-that-it-s-an-umbrella-term-for/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) [Browse all 1,053 Allies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't want nations feeling like that they can bully ourselves and our allies. 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