--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not just a question of blowing up a…" description: "\"“It is not just a question of blowing up a building or shooting a prime minister. Such bourgeois horseplay is not contemplated. Our operation must be d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f6/ian-fleming-1862_assassination_it-is-not-just-a-question-of-blowing-up_1410530.jpg" --- # It is not just a question of blowing up a building or… ![“It is not just a question of blowing up a building or shooting a prime minister. Such bourgeois horseplay is not contemplated. Our operation must be delicate, refined and aimed at the heart of the Intelligence apparat of the West.” quote by Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f6/ian-fleming-1862_assassination_it-is-not-just-a-question-of-blowing-up_1410530.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f6/ian-fleming-1862_assassination_it-is-not-just-a-question-of-blowing-up_1410530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f6/ian-fleming-1862_assassination_it-is-not-just-a-question-of-blowing-up_1410530.jpg) > ““It is not just a question of blowing up a building or shooting a prime minister. Such bourgeois horseplay is not contemplated. Our operation must be delicate, refined and aimed at the heart of the Intelligence apparat of the West.”” [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A covert operation must be precise, subtle, and target the core of Western intelligence, not reckless violence. **In simple terms:** Stealthy actions aim at intelligence, not brute force. Key Takeaway Prioritize precision over spectacle. Themes covert operations political strategy ethics intelligence risk management Mood tense strategic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - espionage missions - political protests - high‑stakes negotiations Key Concepts subtlety targeted impact strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance subtlety with effectiveness? - What safeguards prevent escalation? A Different Perspective Such delicate plans can be compromised by unforeseen variables. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assassination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassination/) [Bourgeois Horseplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bourgeois-horseplay-4969655/) [Contemplated Operation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplated-operation-4969654/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence Apparat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-apparat-4969657/) [James bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/james-bond/) [Operation Delicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operation-delicate-4969656/) [Prime minister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prime-minister/) [Refinement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refinement/) ## Related quotes > [“Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/mr-bond-they-have-a-saying-in-chicago-once-is-happenstance-twice-is/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“What's your name?" "Bond. James Bond. What's yours?" She reflected "Rider." "What Rider?" "Honeychile." Bond smiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/what-s-your-name-bond-james-bond-what-s-yours-she-reflected-rider/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life and death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/james-bond-with-two-double-bourbons-inside-him-sat-in-the-final/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [I'm getting very sorry for the Devil and his disciples such as the good Le Chiffre. The devil has a rotten time and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/i-m-getting-very-sorry-for-the-devil-and-his-disciples-such-as-the-2/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Mine’s Bond – James Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/mine-s-bond-james-bond/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Her breasts were showing and Mr. Player, who was a very strong Quaker, didn't think that was quite proper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/her-breasts-were-showing-and-mr-player-who-was-a-very-strong-quaker/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Who is this man?' 'Chinaman, or rather half Chinese and half German. Got a daft name. Calls himself Doctor No - Doctor Julius No.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/who-is-this-man-chinaman-or-rather-half-chinese-and-half-german-got-a/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Hm,' said Bond. 'Bogeyman stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/hm-said-bond-bogeyman-stuff/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“I've found that one must try and teach people that there's no top limit to disaster-that, so long as breath remains in your body,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/i-ve-found-that-one-must-try-and-teach-people-that-there-s-no-top/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“They had a table near the rail round the huge floor. Bond was spellbound. He found many of the girls very beautiful. The music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/they-had-a-table-near-the-rail-round-the-huge-floor-bond-was/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“The naked man who lay splayed out on his face beside the swimming pool might have been dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/the-naked-man-who-lay-splayed-out-on-his-face-beside-the-swimming/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [ “He had seen how the spirit, the reserves in \[Bond\], could pull him out of badly damaged conditions that would have broken the normal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/he-had-seen-how-the-spirit-the-reserves-in-bond-could-pull-him-out-of/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [ When I wrote the first \[Bond novel\] in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened... when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-1953-i-wanted-bond-to-be-an/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Bond looked at the beautiful day and smiled. And no man, not even Mr. Big, would have liked the expression on his face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/bond-looked-at-the-beautiful-day-and-smiled-and-no-man-not-even-mr/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Women are often meticulous and safe drivers, but they are very seldom first-class. In general, Bond regarded them as a mild hazard and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/women-are-often-meticulous-and-safe-drivers-but-they-are-very-seldom/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) ## More by Ian Fleming > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [All women love semi-rape. They love to be taken.It was his sweet brutality against my bruised body that made his act of love so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/all-women-love-semi-rape-they-love-to-be-taken-it-was-his-sweet/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Shooting hell out of a piece of cardboard doesn't prove anything' was his single-line introduction to the Small-arms Defence Manual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/shooting-hell-out-of-a-piece-of-cardboard-doesn-t-prove-anything-was/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Danger, like a third man, was standing in the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/danger-like-a-third-man-was-standing-in-the-room/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Those who deserve to die, die the death they deserve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/those-who-deserve-to-die-die-the-death-they-deserve/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/mr-bond-they-have-a-saying-in-chicago-once-is-happenstance-twice-is/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“There was no sign of life round the domed emplacement of the Moonraker, and the concrete, already beginning to shimmer in the early morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/there-was-no-sign-of-life-round-the-domed-emplacement-of-the/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [The World Is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/the-world-is-not-enough/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Somebody said that to become very rich you have to be helped by a combination of remarkable circumstances and an unbroken run of luck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/somebody-said-that-to-become-very-rich-you-have-to-be-helped-by-a/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Worry is a dividend paid to disaster before it is due](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/worry-is-a-dividend-paid-to-disaster-before-it-is-due/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Bond smelt the smell of danger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/bond-smelt-the-smell-of-danger/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [All the greatest men are maniacs. They are possessed by a mania which drives them forward towards thier goal. The great scientists, the philosophers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/all-the-greatest-men-are-maniacs-they-are-possessed-by-a-mania-which/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles.' He laughed. 'But don't let me down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/surround-yourself-with-human-beings-my-dear-james-they-are-easier-to/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/the-scent-and-smoke-and-sweat-of-a-casino-are-nauseating-at-three-in/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Was it true what The Big Man had said, that she would have nothing to do with men? He doubted it. She seemed open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/was-it-true-what-the-big-man-had-said-that-she-would-have-nothing-to/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) [Explore all 199 Ian Fleming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) ## More Assassination quotes > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [“Assassination is murder with a touch more precision. Brother Sim is precise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/assassination-is-murder-with-a-touch-more-precision-brother-sim-is/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [In modern day academia, secretly assassinating your peers is not necessarily performed the same way it was in king Tarquins day. The growth in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-spacey/in-modern-day-academia-secretly-assassinating-your-peers-is-not/) [Simon Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-spacey/) > [The Romans have provided a lot of writers with a model for various interstellar empires, of course, and no wonder. The Roman Empire is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/the-romans-have-provided-a-lot-of-writers-with-a-model-for-various/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [We know from Talmadge Hayer, one of the men who carried out the assassination, who was shot by Ruben X as he tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manning-marable/we-know-from-talmadge-hayer-one-of-the-men-who-carried-out-the/) [Manning Marable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manning-marable/) > [Assassination's the fastest way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/assassination-s-the-fastest-way/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [“He also had a condition that was referred to as granulated eyelids and it caused him to blink more than usual, as if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-hansen/he-also-had-a-condition-that-was-referred-to-as-granulated-eyelids/) [Ron Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-hansen/) > [“Hundreds of political assassinations related to minority races, labor leaders and spokesmen against fascism have taken place in the U.S. since World War II.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-brussell/hundreds-of-political-assassinations-related-to-minority-races-labor/) [Mae Brussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-brussell/) > [However, after the assassination of Salman Taseer, the killer of Salman Taseer was welcomed by the religious fanatics. And they showered rose petals on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahbaz-bhatti/however-after-the-assassination-of-salman-taseer-the-killer-of-salman/) [Shahbaz Bhatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahbaz-bhatti/) > [There is not a single celebrated Southern name in any of the departments of human industry except those of war, assassination, lynching, murder, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-not-a-single-celebrated-southern-name-in-any-of-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I think that the implication of King's assassination has not been fully appreciated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/i-think-that-the-implication-of-king-s-assassination-has-not-been/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [The Senate has been debased to the level of a forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by the shield of congressional immunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-chase-smith/the-senate-has-been-debased-to-the-level-of-a-forum-of-hate-and/) [Margaret Chase Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-chase-smith/) > [A deep, black grief gripped Robert Kennedy in the months following his brother's assassination. He lost weight, fell into melancholy silences, wore his brother's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurston-clarke/a-deep-black-grief-gripped-robert-kennedy-in-the-months-following-his/) [Thurston Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurston-clarke/) [Browse all 264 Assassination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assassination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is not just a question of blowing up a building or shooting a prime minister. Such bourgeois horseplay is not contemplated. 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