Common Quote by James Reston
“In any war, the first casualty is common sense, and the second is free and open discussion.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Press conference, 1972
War erodes rational thinking and open dialogue, making common sense the first victim.
In simple terms: War kills common sense first.
Key Takeaway
Guard rational discourse.
Themes
war
communication
truth
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- media reporting
- public forums
Key Concepts
political science
media studies
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards protect discourse?
- How can we restore common sense?
A Different Perspective
Free speech can be suppressed even without war.
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
