--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Are there really good wars and bad wars?…" description: "\"Are there really good wars and bad wars? We thought so during World War II, and in retrospect, we were right. But in Vietnam, and Iraq we were wrong.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/madeleine-m-kunin-6984_bad_are-there-really-good-wars-and-bad-wars_756799.png" --- # Are there really good wars and bad wars? We thought so… ![“Are there really good wars and bad wars? We thought so during World War II, and in retrospect, we were right. But in Vietnam, and Iraq we were wrong.” quote by Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/madeleine-m-kunin-6984_bad_are-there-really-good-wars-and-bad-wars_756799.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/madeleine-m-kunin-6984_bad_are-there-really-good-wars-and-bad-wars_756799.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8b/madeleine-m-kunin-6984_bad_are-there-really-good-wars-and-bad-wars_756799.png) > “Are there really good wars and bad wars? We thought so during World War II, and in retrospect, we were right. But in Vietnam, and Iraq we were wrong.” [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War morality varies by context; past wars seemed justified, later conflicts reveal moral ambiguity. **In simple terms:** Not all wars are clearly good or bad. Key Takeaway Question the ethics of each war. Themes war morality history Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - History classes - policy debates - media analysis Key Concepts Just war theory historical revisionism Questions to Reflect On - What criteria should define a just war? - How do perspectives change over time? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex geopolitical causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-war/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Retrospect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [There are no good wars or bad wars. The only thing bad about a war is to lose it. 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