--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This was a matter of some small group of…" description: "\"“This was a matter of some small group of guerrillas in some distant caves, a primitive, fanatical, and desperate people who didn't have the resources ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg" --- # This was a matter of some small group of guerrillas in… ![“This was a matter of some small group of guerrillas in some distant caves, a primitive, fanatical, and desperate people who didn't have the resources to intimidate the United States.” quote by Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg) > ““This was a matter of some small group of guerrillas in some distant caves, a primitive, fanatical, and desperate people who didn't have the resources to intimidate the United States.”” [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A small, desperate guerrilla group lacks the power to threaten a superpower, highlighting asymmetry in conflict. **In simple terms:** Weak groups cannot intimidate strong ones. Key Takeaway Recognize power imbalances. Themes conflict power asymmetry Mood somber reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - historical analysis - military strategy - policy making - human rights advocacy Key Concepts guerrilla warfare resource disparity political struggle Questions to Reflect On - How can underdogs leverage ingenuity? - What ethical limits exist in asymmetrical warfare? A Different Perspective Even small groups can influence outcomes through unconventional tactics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desperate People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate-people/) [Guerrillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guerrillas/) [Small Group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-group/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terror/) ## Related quotes > [I've never met anyone who wanted to be a terrorist. They are desperate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-ve-never-met-anyone-who-wanted-to-be-a-terrorist-they-are-desperate/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Nothing is so dangerous for our security as large groups of desperate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/nothing-is-so-dangerous-for-our-security-as-large-groups-of-desperate/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In tough economic times, desperate people do desperate things, and the abortion rate goes up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/in-tough-economic-times-desperate-people-do-desperate-things-and-the/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [“A desperate people are a dangerous people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-f-breene/a-desperate-people-are-a-dangerous-people/) [K.F. Breene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-f-breene/) > [“Words are plastic these days. Small loans made to desperate people at exorbitant interest rates are called payday advances. A cheesy hotel paired with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/words-are-plastic-these-days-small-loans-made-to-desperate-people-at/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“Because desperate people cling to hope like sailors to their wreaks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/because-desperate-people-cling-to-hope-like-sailors-to-their-wreaks/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [“Maputo was much praised as a desirable destination, but it was a dreary, beat-up city of desperate people who had cowered there while war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/maputo-was-much-praised-as-a-desirable-destination-but-it-was-a/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [“Bosch had never liked Las Vegas, though he came often on cases. It shared a kinship with Los Angeles; both were places desperate people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/bosch-had-never-liked-las-vegas-though-he-came-often-on-cases-it/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [(About Love)The most important thing in life, and you can't tell whether people have it or not. Surely this is wrong? Surely people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/about-love-the-most-important-thing-in-life-and-you-can-t-tell/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [There's this huge number of desperate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/there-s-this-huge-number-of-desperate-people/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [“Desperate people do desperate things, and people with nothing left to lose are the most dangerous of them all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/desperate-people-do-desperate-things-and-people-with-nothing-left-to/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Actions fueled by desperation. They were the worst kinds of decisions, because desperate people could see the error of their ways and simply not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-lloyd-jones/actions-fueled-by-desperation-they-were-the-worst-kinds-of-decisions/) [Emily Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-lloyd-jones/) > [People who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/people-who-say-they-don-t-care-what-people-think-are-usually/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Imagine yourself acclaimed, a decorated national hero, an idol to millions of desperate people, then within six months, condemned to death by hanging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joachim-peiper/imagine-yourself-acclaimed-a-decorated-national-hero-an-idol-to/) Joachim Peiper > [“we've learned an interesting rule about fame. Those who seem desperate for it are the people that others least want to see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-ryan/we-ve-learned-an-interesting-rule-about-fame-those-who-seem-desperate/) Jeanne Ryan ## More by Isabel Allende > [“I am happier when I love than when I am loved. I adore my husband, my son, and my grandchildren, my mother, my dog,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-am-happier-when-i-love-than-when-i-am-loved-i-adore-my-husband-my/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Having a point to start is important. You know that when you decide to write something it's like a commitment. It's like falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/having-a-point-to-start-is-important-you-know-that-when-you-decide-to/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Music is a wind that blows away the years, memories, and fear, that crouching animal I carry inside me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/music-is-a-wind-that-blows-away-the-years-memories-and-fear-that/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Everybody has losses - it's unavoidable in life. Sharing our pain is very healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/everybody-has-losses-it-s-unavoidable-in-life-sharing-our-pain-is/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“The writer and the dreamer have so much in common: They can't control the plot, they are always part of the story or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/the-writer-and-the-dreamer-have-so-much-in-common-they-can-t-control/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [People think that they will sit down and produce the great American novel in one sitting. It doesn't work that way. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/people-think-that-they-will-sit-down-and-produce-the-great-american/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“He had a principle: if you lend money and never see the person again, that's money well spent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/he-had-a-principle-if-you-lend-money-and-never-see-the-person-again/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Catholics form a majority in Chile, although there are more and more Evangelicals and Pentacostals who irritate everyone because they have a direct understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/catholics-form-a-majority-in-chile-although-there-are-more-and-more/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“At times I feel as if I had lived all this before and that I have already written these very words, but I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/at-times-i-feel-as-if-i-had-lived-all-this-before-and-that-i-have/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [In 2011, I announced that I was going to retire, and my agent panicked. So she says: 'No, no, no. You have to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/in-2011-i-announced-that-i-was-going-to-retire-and-my-agent-panicked/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I have lived with passion and in a hurry, trying to accomplish too many things. I never had time to think about my beliefs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-have-lived-with-passion-and-in-a-hurry-trying-to-accomplish-too/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I'm surrounded by the scene of aging. I myself am in my 70s and not getting any younger. Although I'm very healthy, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-m-surrounded-by-the-scene-of-aging-i-myself-am-in-my-70s-and-not/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I try to write the kind of books I like to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-books-i-like-to-read/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Intimacy needs time to mature—a shared history, tears shed, obstacles overcome, photographs in an album. It’s a slow-growing plant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/intimacy-needs-time-to-mature-a-shared-history-tears-shed-obstacles/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [ The idea of the book \["The Japanese Lover"\] came in a conversation that I had with a friend walking in the streets of New… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/the-idea-of-the-book-the-japanese-lover-came-in-a-conversation-that-i/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) [Explore all 552 Isabel Allende quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## More Guerrillas quotes > [“The rank and file members of the guerrillas and their civilian sympathizers paid some of the heaviest prices during the war and a recurrent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-ching/the-rank-and-file-members-of-the-guerrillas-and-their-civilian/) [Erik Ching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-ching/) > [The United States can certainly defeat North Vietnam, but the United States cannot defeat a guerrilla war which is being raged from a sanctuary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-united-states-can-certainly-defeat-north-vietnam-but-the-united/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [I had been a guerrilla leader in World War II. And I used to say that the way to fight the guerrilla was with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-hilsman/i-had-been-a-guerrilla-leader-in-world-war-ii-and-i-used-to-say-that/) [Roger Hilsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-hilsman/) > [The implied threat of using nuclear weapons to curb guerrillas was as absurd as to talk of using a sledge hammer to ward off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-implied-threat-of-using-nuclear-weapons-to-curb-guerrillas-was-as/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [There's no doubt that Boko Haram has been driven from many of its strongholds in northeastern Nigeria. Now, President Muhammadu Buhari says technically, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ofeibea-quist-arcton/there-s-no-doubt-that-boko-haram-has-been-driven-from-many-of-its/) [Ofeibea Quist-Arcton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ofeibea-quist-arcton/) > [When Marxist dictators shoot their way into power in Central America, the Democrats don't blame the guerrillas and their Soviet allies, they blame United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeane-kirkpatrick/when-marxist-dictators-shoot-their-way-into-power-in-central-america/) [Jeane Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeane-kirkpatrick/) > [Guerrilla war is a test of wills. Obama's actual objectives - rollback in Iraq, containment in Syria - are not unreasonable. But they require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/guerrilla-war-is-a-test-of-wills-obama-s-actual-objectives-rollback/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“The Scouts’ ‘pseudo’ teams had already captured dozens of rebels, and even when operations had failed had managed to sow confusion and paranoia among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-duns/the-scouts-pseudo-teams-had-already-captured-dozens-of-rebels-and/) [Jeremy Duns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-duns/) > [George Washington hated the guerrillas. He wanted to imitate the British red coat armies, fighting as gentlemen are supposed to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/george-washington-hated-the-guerrillas-he-wanted-to-imitate-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The military ain't there for the people's protection, They're just there to protect an investment. That's why people get arrested, electrocuted, molested, Connected streets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/the-military-ain-t-there-for-the-people-s-protection-they-re-just/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [Minister and writer Barbara Kaufmann has addressed the subject of guerrilla decontextualization on both the 'Voices Compassionate Education' website and on 'Inner Michael', where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/minister-and-writer-barbara-kaufmann-has-addressed-the-subject-of/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [If we offer a prize, so to speak, to anyone who manages to bring a country under his physical control - namely, that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pogge/if-we-offer-a-prize-so-to-speak-to-anyone-who-manages-to-bring-a/) [Thomas Pogge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pogge/) > [Although himself frequently a target of guerrilla decontextualization, a major part of the meaning of Michael Jackson's life was to help balance the accumulation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/although-himself-frequently-a-target-of-guerrilla-decontextualization/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [“A western European can show solidarity with Latin American or African guerrillas, knowing that were they to actually take power and bring their nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-west/a-western-european-can-show-solidarity-with-latin-american-or-african/) [Ed West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-west/) > [I ... have another cup of coffee with my mother. We get along very well, veterans of a guerrilla war we never understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-have-another-cup-of-coffee-with-my-mother-we-get-along-very-well/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) [Browse all 74 Guerrillas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guerrillas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This was a matter of some small group of guerrillas in some distant caves, a primitive, fanatical, and desperate people who didn't have the resources to intimidate the United States.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Isabel Allende" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of-guerrillas-in-some-distant/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guerrillas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of-guerrillas-in-some-distant/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/isabel-allende-266_guerrillas_this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of_460012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This was a matter of some small group of guerrillas in some distant caves, a primitive, fanatical, and…” — Isabel Allende", "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": "Isabel Allende", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This was a matter of some...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of-guerrillas-in-some-distant/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/this-was-a-matter-of-some-small-group-of-guerrillas-in-some-distant/#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 } } ] } ```