--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think we [Americans] are going to look…" description: "\"I think we [Americans] are going to look back and realize that the civil liberties that we've given up in the name of security, the authority that we'v..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jeremy-scahill-24616_authority_i-think-we-americans-are-going-to-look-b_2128198.jpg" --- # I think we \[Americans\] are going to look back and realize… ![“I think we [Americans] are going to look back and realize that the civil liberties that we've given up in the name of security, the authority that we've given Democratic and Republican presidents, all have contributed to a fraying of the fabric of our democratic republic.” quote by Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jeremy-scahill-24616_authority_i-think-we-americans-are-going-to-look-b_2128198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jeremy-scahill-24616_authority_i-think-we-americans-are-going-to-look-b_2128198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b7/jeremy-scahill-24616_authority_i-think-we-americans-are-going-to-look-b_2128198.jpg) > “I think we \[Americans\] are going to look back and realize that the civil liberties that we've given up in the name of security, the authority that we've given Democratic and Republican presidents, all have contributed to a fraying of the fabric of our democratic republic.” [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Security measures can erode civil freedoms and weaken democracy. **In simple terms:** Security can hurt freedom. Key Takeaway Guard liberties while ensuring safety. Themes civil liberties security democracy Mood cautious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislation - surveillance - public policy - citizen activism Key Concepts political theory civil rights Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect rights without compromising security? - What safeguards are needed for democratic health? A Different Perspective Balancing safety and freedom is complex and contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Civil liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-liberties/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-republic/) [Fabric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fabric/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Given Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-democratic-2482077/) [Given up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-up/) [Liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberties/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Think Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-americans/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I absolutely intend to return every penny given to me by my Democratic colleagues and Democratic leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-alexander/i-absolutely-intend-to-return-every-penny-given-to-me-by-my/) [Rodney Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-alexander/) > [I'm just not sure I trust the federal government not to trample on civil liberties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/i-m-just-not-sure-i-trust-the-federal-government-not-to-trample-on/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [“We’ve built a society that values civil liberties even at the expense of social order.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wheelan/we-ve-built-a-society-that-values-civil-liberties-even-at-the-expense/) [Charles Wheelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wheelan/) > [By international standards, many of the U.K.'s policies for civil society are exemplary. However, there are concerns about constraints on civil liberties - particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-mulgan/by-international-standards-many-of-the-u-k-s-policies-for-civil/) [Geoff Mulgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-mulgan/) > [The seemingly omnipresent storm clouds hanging over the Constitution often make it hard to find a silver lining. 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I want to be a reporter and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/the-first-week-i-was-in-iraq-i-said-this-is-what-i-want-to-do-i-want/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [Because I didn't see war in Iraq through the partisan lens that seems to dominate a lot of the perspective today with Fox News…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/because-i-didn-t-see-war-in-iraq-through-the-partisan-lens-that-seems/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [“Remember that there was great controversy that George Bush asserted the power simply to detain American citizens without due process or simply to eavesdrop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/remember-that-there-was-great-controversy-that-george-bush-asserted/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [Now, here we are, and we have Obama in office, and he has drawn down forces in Iraq - which is a plan that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/now-here-we-are-and-we-have-obama-in-office-and-he-has-drawn-down/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [ I believe that we \[Americans\] are making more new enemies than we are killing terrorists at this point, and I think it's time that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/i-believe-that-we-americans-are-making-more-new-enemies-than-we-are/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [You can do as much diligence as possible before you go somewhere to try to protect yourself and the people around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/you-can-do-as-much-diligence-as-possible-before-you-go-somewhere-to/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [My fear, as an American, is that our own actions are going to contribute to an inspiration for terrorists to want to harm us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/my-fear-as-an-american-is-that-our-own-actions-are-going-to/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [If you're a human being, you'd have to be terrified. 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