--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a tough choice. In war, people die…" description: "\"It is a tough choice. In war, people die. But when we refuse to confront the enemy, we will face the enemy in New York and Washington, as we did on 9-1..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/george-w-bush-64_choices_it-is-a-tough-choice-in-war-people-die-b_1884786.jpg" --- # It is a tough choice. In war, people die. But when we… ![“It is a tough choice. In war, people die. But when we refuse to confront the enemy, we will face the enemy in New York and Washington, as we did on 9-11. As for responsiblity, of course we stand by our decision to go to war on Iraq. President Kennedy said that friend and foe alike should know…” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/george-w-bush-64_choices_it-is-a-tough-choice-in-war-people-die-b_1884786.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/george-w-bush-64_choices_it-is-a-tough-choice-in-war-people-die-b_1884786.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fc/george-w-bush-64_choices_it-is-a-tough-choice-in-war-people-die-b_1884786.jpg) > “It is a tough choice. In war, people die. But when we refuse to confront the enemy, we will face the enemy in New York and Washington, as we did on 9-11. As for responsiblity, of course we stand by our decision to go to war on Iraq. President Kennedy said that friend and foe alike should know where America stands.” [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. War is presented as a necessary, though painful, choice to confront threats and protect national values, invoking past attacks as justification. **In simple terms:** War is hard but sometimes needed to stop greater danger. Key Takeaway Weigh moral duty against human cost. Themes war morality security politics Mood serious reflective Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy decision - public justification - military engagement - ethical debate Key Concepts just war theory responsibility national identity Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives were considered before war? - How do we balance security with humanitarian concerns? A Different Perspective Ignoring diplomatic alternatives may prolong conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Foe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foe/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-ve-been-to-war-i-ve-raised-twins-if-i-had-a-choice-i-d-rather-go-to/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It can take greater courage to stand in opposition to the views of your neighbors or nation than to confront an enemy in combat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/it-can-take-greater-courage-to-stand-in-opposition-to-the-views-of/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [Every decision you make, you got to stand on that decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-dolph/every-decision-you-make-you-got-to-stand-on-that-decision/) [Young Dolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-dolph/) > [I stand by every decision I've made throughout my career and my life, good or bad, up or down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coverdale/i-stand-by-every-decision-i-ve-made-throughout-my-career-and-my-life/) [David Coverdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coverdale/) > [ In the end, many of his more militant colleagues began to feel that \[Ho Chi Minh's\] tendency to compromise, and his reluctance to confront… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-duiker/in-the-end-many-of-his-more-militant-colleagues-began-to-feel-that-ho/) [William J. Duiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-duiker/) > [“I prefer to suffer than repent because I stand by my decision and capable enough top pay for it Or reap the beauty later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravindra-shukla/i-prefer-to-suffer-than-repent-because-i-stand-by-my-decision-and/) [Ravindra Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravindra-shukla/) > [“...The Abbe's warning: 'Never confront an enemy at the end of a journey, unless it happens to be his journey'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/the-abbe-s-warning-never-confront-an-enemy-at-the-end-of-a-journey/) [Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/) > [Ours is a war not against a religion, not against the Muslim faith. But ours is a war against individuals who absolutely hate what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/ours-is-a-war-not-against-a-religion-not-against-the-muslim-faith-but/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [America stands for liberty, for the pursuit of happiness and for the unalienable right for life. This right to life cannot be granted or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/america-stands-for-liberty-for-the-pursuit-of-happiness-and-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The United States of America stands for: the ability for people to worship freely, the ability for people to vote and to express their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-united-states-of-america-stands-for-the-ability-for-people-to/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We're certain there are people that can't stand what America stands for... We're certain there are madmen in this world, and there's terror, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-re-certain-there-are-people-that-can-t-stand-what-america-stands/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We're fighting people that hates our values, they can't stand what America stands for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-re-fighting-people-that-hates-our-values-they-can-t-stand-what/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Whoever takes the decision of war, he is surely a stupid man!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whoever-takes-the-decision-of-war-he-is-surely-a-stupid-man/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [When a decision is made to go to war based on intelligence, it is a fateful decision. It has ramifications and impacts way beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/when-a-decision-is-made-to-go-to-war-based-on-intelligence-it-is-a/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [We were in opposition to the decision to go to war. But after the war happened, it was clear that you could not sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joschka-fischer/we-were-in-opposition-to-the-decision-to-go-to-war-but-after-the-war/) [Joschka Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joschka-fischer/) ## 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 Choices quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/) Alison James > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/) [Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) [Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is a tough choice. 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