--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Funnily enough, countries tend not to do…" description: "\"Funnily enough, countries tend not to do things that are against their own interests and the French government knows that opening up a travel point int..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg" --- # Funnily enough, countries tend not to do things that are… ![“Funnily enough, countries tend not to do things that are against their own interests and the French government knows that opening up a travel point into the U.K. at Calais would be an unmitigated disaster for them.” quote by Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg) > “Funnily enough, countries tend not to do things that are against their own interests and the French government knows that opening up a travel point into the U.K. at Calais would be an unmitigated disaster for them.” [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that governments act against their interests, citing the French decision to open a Calais travel point to the UK as a disaster. **In simple terms:** Governments sometimes make harmful choices despite obvious risks. Key Takeaway Question policy decisions critically. Themes politics international relations policy risk management government behavior Mood skeptical analytical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - border control - travel regulations - foreign policy debates - public criticism Key Concepts strategic error national interest public safety Questions to Reflect On - Why do governments ignore clear risks? - What alternative solutions exist? A Different Perspective Counterpoint: Some decisions may have hidden strategic benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [In a world in which the United States does less, whatever set of calculations, other countries will tend to calculate - to move in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/in-a-world-in-which-the-united-states-does-less-whatever-set-of/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [“The French government classifies books as an “essential good,” along with electricity, bread, and water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-reich/the-french-government-classifies-books-as-an-essential-good-along/) [Robert B. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-reich/) > [“When I am dead and opened, you shall find 'Calais' lying in my heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-mary-i/when-i-am-dead-and-opened-you-shall-find-calais-lying-in-my-heart/) Queen Mary I > [Nowhere in the Beatitudes did Jesus say, 'Blessed are the queue-jumpers,' trying to gain an advantage at the expense of others. This is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/nowhere-in-the-beatitudes-did-jesus-say-blessed-are-the-queue-jumpers/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [I never had the guts to go to Calais. I didn't see for myself the conditions people were living in, or hear their stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karla-crome/i-never-had-the-guts-to-go-to-calais-i-didn-t-see-for-myself-the/) [Karla Crome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karla-crome/) > [“Calais took all of a fraction of a second—I've yet to learn how to gauge his speed—to appear beside me, taking the alarm clock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayden-thorne/calais-took-all-of-a-fraction-of-a-second-i-ve-yet-to-learn-how-to/) [Hayden Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayden-thorne/) > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More by Julia Hartley-Brewer > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [I have the most wonderful childhood memories of holidays in the golden age before foreign package holidays were even a glint in Michael O'Leary's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/i-have-the-most-wonderful-childhood-memories-of-holidays-in-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Some of my most vivid childhood memories involve cards: loud, energetic, often brutally competitive games of racing demon, played at high speed and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/some-of-my-most-vivid-childhood-memories-involve-cards-loud-energetic/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The idea that laws don't apply to the law-makers is for despotic regimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/the-idea-that-laws-don-t-apply-to-the-law-makers-is-for-despotic/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [If ever there was a sign that normal life really is about to resume, it is the annual trip to buy new school shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/if-ever-there-was-a-sign-that-normal-life-really-is-about-to-resume/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Feeling under the weather is just part of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/feeling-under-the-weather-is-just-part-of-everyday-life/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [I'm far less bothered by on screen stars earning the big bucks than the legions of middle management behind the scenes at the BBC…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/i-m-far-less-bothered-by-on-screen-stars-earning-the-big-bucks-than/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Sure, for a one-to-one chat about life, the universe and everything, give me a woman. But when it comes to a group gathering, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/sure-for-a-one-to-one-chat-about-life-the-universe-and-everything/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Courage shows itself in many different ways. A soldier heading off to war, a freedom fighter giving their life, or even a nurse braving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/courage-shows-itself-in-many-different-ways-a-soldier-heading-off-to/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The 'HIGNFY' line-up often consists of four male comedians and one lone female TV presenter who barely says a word. Lo and behold, everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/the-hignfy-line-up-often-consists-of-four-male-comedians-and-one-lone/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [I am a big fan of Jeremy Clarkson and I love watching him on TV and reading his various columns. I think he's funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/i-am-a-big-fan-of-jeremy-clarkson-and-i-love-watching-him-on-tv-and/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [I didn't start trying for my first baby until I was 36 - partly because of my career and partly because I had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/i-didn-t-start-trying-for-my-first-baby-until-i-was-36-partly-because/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [An infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters might be able to write the complete works of William Shakespeare but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/an-infinite-number-of-monkeys-with-an-infinite-number-of-typewriters/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Indeed, the whole point of the NHS was to enable Britons to live until a ripe old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/indeed-the-whole-point-of-the-nhs-was-to-enable-britons-to-live-until/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Great Britain didn't just happen; the British people created this country through decades and centuries of hard work, fighting for democracy, the welfare state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/great-britain-didn-t-just-happen-the-british-people-created-this/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) [Explore all 100 Julia Hartley-Brewer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) ## More Disaster quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [One of the undervalued contributors to Trump's stunning 2016 victory was the masterful performance Pence had in his debate against Hillary Clinton running mate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/one-of-the-undervalued-contributors-to-trump-s-stunning-2016-victory/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [You know, we can't beat ISIS. We can't do anything. We can't take care of our vets. We can't have good health care. "Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-know-we-can-t-beat-isis-we-can-t-do-anything-we-can-t-take-care/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [My mind shrank from the menace sweeping down on us, as children's do from belief in death and misfortune, vainly clinging to the fancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-pankhurst/my-mind-shrank-from-the-menace-sweeping-down-on-us-as-children-s-do/) [Sylvia Pankhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-pankhurst/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“She was—of course—perfectly normal— quiet and polite and reasonably intelligent and...normal and self destructive and lonely and terrified of every thing And she loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tah-the-trickster/she-was-of-course-perfectly-normal-quiet-and-polite-and-reasonably/) Tah the Trickster > [Obviously, it's my goal to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga, but it wouldn't be a disaster if I didn't achieve that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-gomez/obviously-it-s-my-goal-to-be-the-top-scorer-in-the-bundesliga-but-it/) [Mario Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-gomez/) > [Yes, life in Chechnya so far looks more like a life after a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/yes-life-in-chechnya-so-far-looks-more-like-a-life-after-a-natural/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Even disasters -- there are always disasters when you travel -- can be turned into adventures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/even-disasters-there-are-always-disasters-when-you-travel-can-be/) [Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/) > [We are always just one successful terrorist attack away from a nuclear disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/we-are-always-just-one-successful-terrorist-attack-away-from-a/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) > [WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/whangdepootenawah-n-in-the-ojibwa-tongue-disaster-an-unexpected/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/) [Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/) > [The only aspect of our travels that is interesting to others is disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellmanmartha-gellman/the-only-aspect-of-our-travels-that-is-interesting-to-others-is/) Martha GellmanMartha Gellman [Browse all 2,239 Disaster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Funnily enough, countries tend not to do things that are against their own interests and the French government knows that opening up a travel point into the U.K. at Calais would be an unmitigated disaster for them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julia Hartley-Brewer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do-things-that-are-against-their/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disaster" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do-things-that-are-against-their/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e5/julia-hartley-brewer-5566_disaster_funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do_1627793.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Funnily enough, countries tend not to do things that are against their own interests and the French…” — Julia Hartley-Brewer", "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": "Julia Hartley-Brewer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Funnily enough, countries tend not to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do-things-that-are-against-their/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/funnily-enough-countries-tend-not-to-do-things-that-are-against-their/#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 } } ] } ```