--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The United States is now relearning an…" description: "\"The United States is now relearning an ancient lesson, dating back to the Roman Empire. Brutalizing an enemy only serves to brutalize the army ordered ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/james-risen-62906_ancient_the-united-states-is-now-relearning-an-a_2844557.jpg" --- # The United States is now relearning an ancient lesson… ![“The United States is now relearning an ancient lesson, dating back to the Roman Empire. Brutalizing an enemy only serves to brutalize the army ordered to do it. Torture corrodes the mind of the torturer.” quote by James Risen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/james-risen-62906_ancient_the-united-states-is-now-relearning-an-a_2844557.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/james-risen-62906_ancient_the-united-states-is-now-relearning-an-a_2844557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce3/james-risen-62906_ancient_the-united-states-is-now-relearning-an-a_2844557.jpg) > “The United States is now relearning an ancient lesson, dating back to the Roman Empire. Brutalizing an enemy only serves to brutalize the army ordered to do it. Torture corrodes the mind of the torturer.” [James Risen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-risen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence against enemies dehumanizes both the victim and the perpetrator, eroding moral integrity of the forces. **In simple terms:** Brutalizing enemies corrupts the army's soul. Key Takeaway Avoid cruelty; uphold humane conduct. Themes ethics war humanity Mood somber reflective Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - military training - leadership decisions - policy debates - historical analysis Key Concepts moral decay psychological impact Questions to Reflect On - Can an army maintain discipline without cruelty? - What safeguards prevent moral erosion? A Different Perspective It may be argued that harsh tactics can be effective in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Brutalizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutalizing-1095160/) [Brutalizing Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutalizing-enemy-3748856/) [Dating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dating/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Ordered Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordered-torture-3748858/) [Roman empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roman-empire/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) [Torture Corrodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture-corrodes-3748857/) [United](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [I will criticize President Obama on this level: it's a good thing I'm not president because I would prosecute every person that was involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-will-criticize-president-obama-on-this-level-it-s-a-good-thing-i-m/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [The black people of America have been victims of violence at the hands of the white men for four hundred years, and following the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-black-people-of-america-have-been-victims-of-violence-at-the/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“War...is ugly and brutalizing, and the nobility is in doing it without becoming ugly and brutalizing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-kramer-rolls/war-is-ugly-and-brutalizing-and-the-nobility-is-in-doing-it-without/) [Dana Kramer-Rolls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-kramer-rolls/) > [“Plott's every touch, whether he was beating her or caressing her, was a form of brutalizing manipulation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-barton/plott-s-every-touch-whether-he-was-beating-her-or-caressing-her-was-a/) [Beverly Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-barton/) > [Victorian values meant brutalizing people who were often poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-palliser/victorian-values-meant-brutalizing-people-who-were-often-poor/) [Charles Palliser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-palliser/) > [My people never dreamed of a world like this. 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