--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can either invade a country or leave…" description: "\"You can either invade a country or leave them alone and trade with them. When goods cross borders, armies don't.\" — John Stossel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png" --- # You can either invade a country or leave them alone and… ![“You can either invade a country or leave them alone and trade with them. When goods cross borders, armies don't.” quote by John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png) > “You can either invade a country or leave them alone and trade with them. When goods cross borders, armies don't.” [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trade can foster peace by replacing military conflict with economic exchange. **In simple terms:** Trade reduces war likelihood. Key Takeaway Support peaceful commerce. Themes economics peace trade policy Mood analytical optimistic Type economic political When to use this quote - business negotiations - policy making - development aid - diplomacy Key Concepts International relations globalization Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of over‑reliance on trade? - How can trade be made fair? A Different Perspective Economic interdependence can create new tensions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Borders Armies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders-armies-2642693/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Cross Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross-borders-824610/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Goods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goods/) [Invade Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invade-country-1104437/) [Leave Them Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leave-them-alone/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Trade Goods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-goods-5424995/) ## Related quotes > [If goods don't cross borders, armies will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/if-goods-don-t-cross-borders-armies-will/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“When goods don't cross borders, armies will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cudlip/when-goods-don-t-cross-borders-armies-will/) [David Cudlip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cudlip/) > [The justification - the idea that we have a right to invade another country and determine another people's destiny - is frightening. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/the-justification-the-idea-that-we-have-a-right-to-invade-another/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“Why spend money and blood to invade a country and plunder its treasure when you can just buy it from them at less expense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/why-spend-money-and-blood-to-invade-a-country-and-plunder-its/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/when-women-are-depressed-they-either-eat-or-go-shopping-men-invade/) [Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/) > [“If a responsible, mentally sound American wants to own and AR-15, that’s their right. Besides, when the zombies come…okay, you don’t like the zombie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-b-powell/if-a-responsible-mentally-sound-american-wants-to-own-and-ar-15-that/) [Aaron B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-b-powell/) > [Stability is when the U.K. and U.S. invade a country and impose the regime of their choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/stability-is-when-the-u-k-and-u-s-invade-a-country-and-impose-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [When the U.S. claims the right to invade any country unilaterally and then defines a country like Iran or North Korea as 'evil,' then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/when-the-u-s-claims-the-right-to-invade-any-country-unilaterally-and/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [You just don't invade another country on phony pretext in order to assert your interests!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-just-don-t-invade-another-country-on-phony-pretext-in-order-to/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The people with the most resources are the federal government. If you can invade a country halfway across the world in a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/the-people-with-the-most-resources-are-the-federal-government-if-you/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/when-women-are-depressed-they-eat-or-go-shopping-men-invade-another/) [Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/) > [“They say: only exceptional people can cross the borders. The truth is: anyone can cross, everyone has it in them. But only exceptional people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-alderman/they-say-only-exceptional-people-can-cross-the-borders-the-truth-is/) [Naomi Alderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-alderman/) > [“Border crossing' is a recurrent theme in all aspects of my work -- editing, writing, and painting. I'm interested in the various ways artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-windling/border-crossing-is-a-recurrent-theme-in-all-aspects-of-my-work/) [Terri Windling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-windling/) > [I am very happy that Japanese film can cross borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hirokazu-kore-eda/i-am-very-happy-that-japanese-film-can-cross-borders/) [Hirokazu Kore-eda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hirokazu-kore-eda/) > [Highly creative people have a gift for connecting supposedly unrelated elements and ideas. They cross borders without regard for customs posts or No Trespassing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/highly-creative-people-have-a-gift-for-connecting-supposedly/) [Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/) ## More by John Stossel > [Fraud will always exist. Enforcement of anti-fraud laws is a useful deterrent, but in the end there's no substitute for investor vigilance. Government regulations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/fraud-will-always-exist-enforcement-of-anti-fraud-laws-is-a-useful/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [The welfare state has done to Black Americans what slavery (and Jim Crow and racism) could not have done. . .break up the black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/the-welfare-state-has-done-to-black-americans-what-slavery-and-jim/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [“If overpopulation or lack of resources created poverty, then Hong Kong should be poor. Hong Kong has 20 times as many people per square…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/if-overpopulation-or-lack-of-resources-created-poverty-then-hong-kong/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [But nothing is better than the market, where the customer and the business deal directly with each other, because if you rip people off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/but-nothing-is-better-than-the-market-where-the-customer-and-the/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [The people who have the biggest passion for restricting other people's behavior are the very people we should worry about most. Unfortunately, they keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/the-people-who-have-the-biggest-passion-for-restricting-other-people/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Happiness comes when we test our skills towards some meaningful purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/happiness-comes-when-we-test-our-skills-towards-some-meaningful/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [What I've learned in 40 years of consumer reporting is that the market is imperfect, and some people get ripped off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/what-i-ve-learned-in-40-years-of-consumer-reporting-is-that-the/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Patrick Henry did not say, 'Give me absolutely safety or give me death.' America is supposed to be about freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/patrick-henry-did-not-say-give-me-absolutely-safety-or-give-me-death/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Asking someone in the media about liberal bias is like asking a fish about water. 'Huh, what are you talking about? Where is it?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/asking-someone-in-the-media-about-liberal-bias-is-like-asking-a-fish/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Government is so big today that more than half the population gets a major part of its income from the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/government-is-so-big-today-that-more-than-half-the-population-gets-a/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [I'm an American. I'm for prosperity. I've discovered, from 40 years of reporting, that what creates prosperity is limited government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/i-m-an-american-i-m-for-prosperity-i-ve-discovered-from-40-years-of/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [“Cornelius Vanderbilt and his fellow tycoon John D. Rockefeller were often called 'robber barons'. Newspapers said they were evil, and ran cartoons showing Vanderbilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/cornelius-vanderbilt-and-his-fellow-tycoon-john-d-rockefeller-were/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [A handful of people who probably never even ran a small business actually think they can reinvent the health care system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/a-handful-of-people-who-probably-never-even-ran-a-small-business/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [Freedom works, and government, when it grows beyond the barest minimum, keeps people poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/freedom-works-and-government-when-it-grows-beyond-the-barest-minimum/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [“In 1999 the National Research Council concluded that 'the total exposure to naturally occurring carcinogens exceeds the exposure to synthetic carcinogens.'... The point was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/in-1999-the-national-research-council-concluded-that-the-total/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) [Explore all 102 John Stossel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/) [William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can either invade a country or leave them alone and trade with them. When goods cross borders, armies don't.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Stossel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave-them-alone-and-trade-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave-them-alone-and-trade-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e2/john-stossel-5146_army_you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave_1485756.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can either invade a country or leave them alone and trade with them. When goods cross borders, armies…” — John Stossel", "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": "John Stossel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can either invade a country...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave-them-alone-and-trade-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/you-can-either-invade-a-country-or-leave-them-alone-and-trade-with/#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 } } ] } ```