America Quote by John Leo
![“[D]rawing up 'secret war plans' for a possible attack on Iraq wasn't irrational. The low-level war against Saddam was 12 years old, with no end in sight. American and British pilots were getting shot at, sanctions weren't working, and Bush was getting warnings that Saddam had all those terrible…” quote by John Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/381/john-leo-26447_america_d-rawing-up-secret-war-plans-for-a-possi_786209.jpg)
“[D]rawing up 'secret war plans' for a possible attack on Iraq wasn't irrational. The low-level war against Saddam was 12 years old, with no end in sight. American and British pilots were getting shot at, sanctions weren't working, and Bush was getting warnings that Saddam had all those terrible weapons and would use them against America. Bush would have been a fool not to draw up plans. Gee, wait till the critics find out that FDR, without ever informing the media, was plotting to fight Japan and Germany before Pearl Harbor.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Commentary on Iraq War, 2002
Planning for potential conflict can be rational when threats are ongoing and intelligence suggests imminent danger.
In simple terms: Strategic planning can be sensible under persistent threat.
Key Takeaway
Consider risks before dismissing plans.
Themes
strategy
war
risk assessment
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
controversial
When to use this quote
- policy making
- defense analysis
- academic debate
- media critique
Key Concepts
geopolitics
military planning
Questions to Reflect On
- Is planning for war always justified?
- How do we balance caution with aggression?
A Different Perspective
Plans may be based on incomplete or biased information.
![“Quickly capping 363 oil well fires in a war zone is impossible. The fires would burn out of control until they put themselves out... The resulting soot might well stretch over all of South Asia... It could be carried around the world... [and] the consequences could be dire. Beneath such a pall…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a7d/carl-sagan-160_around-the-world_quickly-capping-363-oil-well-fires-in-a_1517692.jpg)
![“I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. [salutes]” quote by Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d2/bill-hicks-970_america_i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumor_655.jpg)
