--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can imagine what the advisers are…" description: "\"You can imagine what the advisers are telling Junior Assad: \"Your statues are much stronger than Saddam's. His were hollow, and bolted in place with in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg" --- # You can imagine what the advisers are telling Junior… ![“You can imagine what the advisers are telling Junior Assad: "Your statues are much stronger than Saddam's. His were hollow, and bolted in place with inferior metal; yours are solid, and are anchored to a depth of three feet. Let the American tanks come! Their gears will strip and their engines…” quote by James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg) > “You can imagine what the advisers are telling Junior Assad: "Your statues are much stronger than Saddam's. His were hollow, and bolted in place with inferior metal; yours are solid, and are anchored to a depth of three feet. Let the American tanks come! Their gears will strip and their engines whine in defeat as they attempt to pull down your statues!” [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comparing political power to fragile statues warns that apparent strength may be deceptive; true resilience lies in solid foundations. **In simple terms:** Appearances can be misleading. Key Takeaway Build sturdy foundations. Themes politics power illusion strength Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - policy analysis - leadership training - risk assessment Key Concepts strategic thinking structural integrity propaganda Questions to Reflect On - What 'statues' in politics seem solid but are hollow? - How can leaders ensure genuine resilience? A Different Perspective Overconfidence in superficial strength can lead to failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Metals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metals/) [Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tanks/) ## Related quotes > [ People talk about \[Bashar\] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-syria-he-doesn-t-control-his/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ Every chance at destabilizing \[Bashar\] Assad... the bombing campaign causes a flood of refugees into Jordan, there's already half a million in Jordan. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/every-chance-at-destabilizing-bashar-assad-the-bombing-campaign/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ If we topple \[Bashar\] Assad, the result will be ISIS will take over Syria, and it will worsen U.S. national security interests. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/if-we-topple-bashar-assad-the-result-will-be-isis-will-take-over/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [We know that russians are deeply engaged in supporting Assad because they want to have a place in the Middle East. They have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-know-that-russians-are-deeply-engaged-in-supporting-assad-because/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [ If \[Bashar\] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this-whole-process-by-saying-i/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [ I think those who have wanted regime \[of Bashar Assad\] change have made a mistake. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-those-who-have-wanted-regime-of-bashar-assad-change-have-made/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The principal sponsors of the terrorists are not religious fanatics. "Palestine's Yasser Arafat, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, and Syria's Assad family have made themselves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/the-principal-sponsors-of-the-terrorists-are-not-religious-fanatics/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [Bashar Assad is a major cause of the refugees which are now flooding Europe and causing such consternation in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/bashar-assad-is-a-major-cause-of-the-refugees-which-are-now-flooding/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [ \[Bashar\] Assad is one of the main reasons why ISIS even exists to begin with. Assad is a puppet of Iran. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/bashar-assad-is-one-of-the-main-reasons-why-isis-even-exists-to-begin/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Assad whistled a few notes of one of his native country's melancholic songs. It sounded as though he was whistling backwards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jussi-adler-olsen/assad-whistled-a-few-notes-of-one-of-his-native-country-s-melancholic/) [Jussi Adler-Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jussi-adler-olsen/) > [ We have to do one thing at a time. We can't be fighting ISIS and fighting \[Bashar\]Assad. Assad is fighting ISIS. He is fighting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-we-can-t-be-fighting-isis-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Assad's mother was a terror. He was terrified of her and she kept saying to him, you're not like your father. That's interesting, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/assad-s-mother-was-a-terror-he-was-terrified-of-her-and-she-kept/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [ You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as \[Bashar\] Assad is, in fact, there. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long-as-bashar-assad-is-in-fact/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [We could have made peace with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad a long time ago. It didn't happen, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/we-could-have-made-peace-with-syrian-dictator-bashar-assad-a-long/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [ I'll tell you whose view on \[Bashar\] Assad is the same as mine. It's Prime Minister \[Benjamin\] Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Israel… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-ll-tell-you-whose-view-on-bashar-assad-is-the-same-as-mine-it-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## More by James Lileks > [“So Jane was getting married. Well, more power to her. In fact, let me tighten those straps. Any word from the governor on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/so-jane-was-getting-married-well-more-power-to-her-in-fact-let-me/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [There are three stages to a man's life. 1. He laughs at Clark Griswold. 2. He sympathizes deeply with Clark Griswold. 3. He laughs at Clark Griswold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/there-are-three-stages-to-a-man-s-life-1-he-laughs-at-clark-griswold/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [Wait until France gets a hard shot in the nose. Wait until France reacts with some nasty work. They'll get a golf-clap from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/wait-until-france-gets-a-hard-shot-in-the-nose-wait-until-france/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [I’ll feel that horrible feeling in my stomach you get when you’ve gone over to the Dark Side. But I’ll be fine. That’s the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/i-ll-feel-that-horrible-feeling-in-my-stomach-you-get-when-you-ve/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [“If you can pick the baby up without him squirting our of your hands like a bar of soap in the shower, he's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/if-you-can-pick-the-baby-up-without-him-squirting-our-of-your-hands/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [The newspaper is a lecture. The Web is a conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/the-newspaper-is-a-lecture-the-web-is-a-conversation/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [The same people who accuse America of coddling dictators are sputtering with bilious fury because we actually deposed one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/the-same-people-who-accuse-america-of-coddling-dictators-are/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [And I don't want posture lessons from a country that spent the last 20 years flopping on its back and grabbing its ankles when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/and-i-don-t-want-posture-lessons-from-a-country-that-spent-the-last/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [It takes a particularly rarified variety of idiot to look at a Jew-hating fascist with a small mustache - and decide that his opponent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/it-takes-a-particularly-rarified-variety-of-idiot-to-look-at-a-jew/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [“It's always something when you let other people in your world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/it-s-always-something-when-you-let-other-people-in-your-world/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [“She was moving slowly, appearing to come no closer. Perhaps she was losing ground against the earth's rotation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/she-was-moving-slowly-appearing-to-come-no-closer-perhaps-she-was/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [If you think the ’80s were dumber than the ’70s, either you weren’t there or you weren’t paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/if-you-think-the-80s-were-dumber-than-the-70s-either-you-weren-t/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [“I still couldn't imagine that she was really, truly pregnant; maybe this was an hysterical pregnancy. But Sarah was never hysterical. Enthusiastic, yes, ironic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/i-still-couldn-t-imagine-that-she-was-really-truly-pregnant-maybe/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [The worst thing about depression isn't the sense that you're accentuating the negative, it's that you're seeing things the way they really are, stripped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/the-worst-thing-about-depression-isn-t-the-sense-that-you-re/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) > [So now we're after a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a guy-and-gal thing. To the founders, this would have been like an amendment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/so-now-we-re-after-a-constitutional-amendment-that-defines-marriage/) [James Lileks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) [Explore all 50 James Lileks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/) ## More Adviser quotes > [In 1949 there was a new thing called Television, to which my agency and advisers opposed as a performance medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-young/in-1949-there-was-a-new-thing-called-television-to-which-my-agency/) [Loretta Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-young/) > [President Bush deliberately did not apologize for things and that’s because advisers around him, including those there, felt that the press corps would jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gregory/president-bush-deliberately-did-not-apologize-for-things-and-that-s/) [David Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gregory/) > [The best adviser is God, the good listener is heart but the mind of person always confused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meicee/the-best-adviser-is-god-the-good-listener-is-heart-but-the-mind-of/) Meicee > [No adviser to a president is going to get his way all of the time, but at a minimum, that adviser should be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/no-adviser-to-a-president-is-going-to-get-his-way-all-of-the-time-but/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Men tend to leave their financial adviser at a single-digit-percent rate in any given year. And women leave their husband and their joint financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallie-krawcheck/men-tend-to-leave-their-financial-adviser-at-a-single-digit-percent/) [Sallie Krawcheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallie-krawcheck/) > [Steve Bannon, too, needs to be a unifier, doesn't he, as the senior adviser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megyn-kelly/steve-bannon-too-needs-to-be-a-unifier-doesn-t-he-as-the-senior/) [Megyn Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megyn-kelly/) > [Asking for advice is an act of humility… The act alone says, "I need you." The decision maker and the adviser are pushed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bakke/asking-for-advice-is-an-act-of-humility-the-act-alone-says-i-need-you/) [Dennis Bakke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bakke/) > [It is the lawyers who run our civilization for us -- our governments, our business, our private lives. Most legislators are lawyers; they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rodell/it-is-the-lawyers-who-run-our-civilization-for-us-our-governments-our/) [Fred Rodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rodell/) > [The truth then is, that the Russian Comintern is still confessedly engaged in endeavoring to foment war in order to facilitate revolution, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-fahey/the-truth-then-is-that-the-russian-comintern-is-still-confessedly/) [Denis Fahey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-fahey/) > [French troops arrived in Afghanistan last week, and not a minute too soon. The French are acting as advisers to the Taliban, to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/french-troops-arrived-in-afghanistan-last-week-and-not-a-minute-too/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Republicans want to punish work and reward wealth; hence the high payroll tax and the low dividend tax. Said one Bush economic adviser, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-begala/republicans-want-to-punish-work-and-reward-wealth-hence-the-high/) [Paul Begala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-begala/) > [As for Vietnam, what matters is that Kennedy successfully resisted pressure to send anything more than military advisers, a stance that was a likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/as-for-vietnam-what-matters-is-that-kennedy-successfully-resisted/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [If economists were good at business, they would be rich men instead of advisers to rich men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-kerkorian/if-economists-were-good-at-business-they-would-be-rich-men-instead-of/) [Kirk Kerkorian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-kerkorian/) > [I am deeply worried about Donald Trump on matters of national security. He doesn't know anything himself about it, and he has appointed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/i-am-deeply-worried-about-donald-trump-on-matters-of-national/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [For all the popularity of spiritual advisers in South Korea, it still shocks to see the leaders of huge public companies relying on fortune-tellers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-young-ha/for-all-the-popularity-of-spiritual-advisers-in-south-korea-it-still/) [Kim Young-ha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-young-ha/) Browse all 208 Adviser quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can imagine what the advisers are telling Junior Assad: \"Your statues are much stronger than Saddam's. His were hollow, and bolted in place with inferior metal; yours are solid, and are anchored to a depth of three feet. Let the American tanks come! Their gears will strip and their engines whine in defeat as they attempt to pull down your statues!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Lileks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-telling-junior-assad-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adviser" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-telling-junior-assad-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1db/james-lileks-13366_adviser_you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-te_3132952.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can imagine what the advisers are telling Junior Assad: \"Your statues are much stronger than Saddam's…” — James Lileks", "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": "James Lileks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lileks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can imagine what the advisers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-telling-junior-assad-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lileks/you-can-imagine-what-the-advisers-are-telling-junior-assad-your/#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 } } ] } ```