---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In almost every case (where the United…"
description: "\"In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights has required us to su..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg"
---

#  In almost every case (where the United States has fought…

![“In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights has required us to support those regimes that would deny freedom, democracy and human rights to their own people.” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg)

> “In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights has required us to support those regimes that would deny freedom, democracy and human rights to their own people.”

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The US often backs authoritarian regimes to protect its own ideals, creating a paradox between promoting freedom and supporting oppression.

**In simple terms:** US backs dictators to claim freedom

Key Takeaway

Recognize contradictions in policy decisions

Themes

politics ethics foreign policy

Mood

conflicted critical

Type

analytical political

When to use this quote

- diplomacy
- human rights advocacy
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

realpolitik hypocrisy strategic interests

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the costs of compromising ideals?
- How can policy align actions with stated values?

A Different Perspective

Support may undermine credibility and long‑term stability

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy and human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-and-human-rights/) [Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny/) [Deny Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deny-freedom-694777/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-democracy/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Overwhelming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overwhelming/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Regimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regimes/) [Regimes Deny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regimes-deny-1112564/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Support Regimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-regimes-1112565/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [Let me reassure that the Kingdom of Cambodia a country with independence, neutrality, peace, freedom, democracy and human rights as you all have seen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hun-sen/let-me-reassure-that-the-kingdom-of-cambodia-a-country-with/)

[Hun Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hun-sen/)

> [The stories from Iran's present and past are reminders that freedom, democracy and human rights, or fundamentalism, fascism and terrorism are not geographically and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/the-stories-from-iran-s-present-and-past-are-reminders-that-freedom/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [Hong Kong is not just a global financial center. It's also a place with a lot of teens and youth who love freedom, democracy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/hong-kong-is-not-just-a-global-financial-center-it-s-also-a-place/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [It is clear that Germany needs a foreign policy in which we jointly define European interests. Thus far, we have often defined European values,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmar-gabriel/it-is-clear-that-germany-needs-a-foreign-policy-in-which-we-jointly/)

[Sigmar Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmar-gabriel/)

> [There is no freedom on earth or in any star for those who deny freedom to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/there-is-no-freedom-on-earth-or-in-any-star-for-those-who-deny/)

[Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/)

> [“Dreams deny her the freedom she truly seeks. Darkness consumes. Leg muscles burn. She runs away, even while lost in the paradise of sleep.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kreitzer/dreams-deny-her-the-freedom-she-truly-seeks-darkness-consumes-leg/)

[Laura Kreitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kreitzer/)

> [He who would be no slave must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/he-who-would-be-no-slave-must-consent-to-have-no-slave-those-who-deny/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/those-who-deny-freedom-to-others-deserve-it-not-for-themselves-and/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [“You were born here. You and your children will have American stories, and they’ll be better than any sorrowful Irish tales. At the end,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-denning/you-were-born-here-you-and-your-children-will-have-american-stories/)

[Susan Denning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-denning/)

> [I believe in only one thing and that thing is human liberty. If ever a man is to achieve anything like dignity, it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/i-believe-in-only-one-thing-and-that-thing-is-human-liberty-if-ever-a/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [There is no right to deny freedom to any object with a mind advanced enough to grasp the concept and desire the state. -(from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/there-is-no-right-to-deny-freedom-to-any-object-with-a-mind-advanced-2/)

[Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/)

> [When those in power deny you of freedom the only path to freedom is power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/when-those-in-power-deny-you-of-freedom-the-only-path-to-freedom-is/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [“There is no right to deny freedom to any object with a mind advanced enough to grasp the concept and desire the state.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/there-is-no-right-to-deny-freedom-to-any-object-with-a-mind-advanced/)

[Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/)

> [We have convinced over one billlion members of the Islamic faith that we are prejudiced against their religion, that we would deny them freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-c-sorensen/we-have-convinced-over-one-billlion-members-of-the-islamic-faith-that/)

[Theodore C. Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-c-sorensen/)

> [The intolerant man will not rely on persuasion, or on the worth of the idea. He would deny to others the very freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-intolerant-man-will-not-rely-on-persuasion-or-on-the-worth-of-the/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

## More by Gore Vidal

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/style-is-knowing-who-you-are-what-you-want-to-say-and-not-giving-a/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The oligarchs think that the people are both dangerous and stupid. Their point is moot. But we do know that the oligarchs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-oligarchs-think-that-the-people-are-both-dangerous-and-stupid/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [I do not admire 'the people,' as such. No one really does. Their folk wisdom is usually false, their instincts predatory. Even their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-do-not-admire-the-people-as-such-no-one-really-does-their-folk/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [“One of the problems of a society as tightly controlled as ours is that we get so little information about what those of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/one-of-the-problems-of-a-society-as-tightly-controlled-as-ours-is/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

[Explore all 539 Gore Vidal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

## More Cases quotes

> [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/)

[Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [I think we've all had enough of Coltrane saxophonists. There's a case of someone ruining a generation of saxophonists, as Louis Armstrong may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/i-think-we-ve-all-had-enough-of-coltrane-saxophonists-there-s-a-case/)

[Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/)

[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/)

> [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/)

[Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/)

> [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/)

[Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/)

> [The Cheney team had, for example, technological supremacy over the National Security Council staff. That is to say, they could read their e-mails. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wilkerson/the-cheney-team-had-for-example-technological-supremacy-over-the/)

[Lawrence Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wilkerson/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 6,420 Cases quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights has required us to support those regimes that would deny freedom, democracy and human rights to their own people.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gore Vidal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-states-has-fought-wars-our/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cases"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-states-has-fought-wars-our/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06d/gore-vidal-466_cases_in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-st_2506313.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom…” — Gore Vidal",
                "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": "Gore Vidal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In almost every case (where the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-states-has-fought-wars-our/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/in-almost-every-case-where-the-united-states-has-fought-wars-our/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
