--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Inside the White House there were always…" description: "\"Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the presiden..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/michael-hastings-6810_adviser_inside-the-white-house-there-were-always_658620.png" --- # Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts… ![“Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the president's advisers said, "This is probably not going to work." A lot of people in the military said, "This is probably not going to work."” quote by Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/michael-hastings-6810_adviser_inside-the-white-house-there-were-always_658620.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/michael-hastings-6810_adviser_inside-the-white-house-there-were-always_658620.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/michael-hastings-6810_adviser_inside-the-white-house-there-were-always_658620.png) > “Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the president's advisers said, "This is probably not going to work." A lot of people in the military said, "This is probably not going to work."” [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advisors doubted the escalation in Afghanistan, indicating internal skepticism about the strategy's effectiveness. **In simple terms:** Advisors doubted the war escalation. Key Takeaway Question strategic decisions critically. Themes military policy doubt Mood skeptical serious Type political analytical When to use this quote - government meetings - public debates - military planning Key Concepts strategic assessment decision making Questions to Reflect On - What evidence was ignored? - How can dissent be heard? A Different Perspective Doubt may be suppressed by political pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Escalating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escalating/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/inside-the-white-house-there-were-always-extreme-amounts-of-doubt/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [No one talked about the fact that in this year under the Obama administration you've seen the highest casualties in Afghanistan. And the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/no-one-talked-about-the-fact-that-in-this-year-under-the-obama/) [Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/) > [I've just been flooded with emails of people just giving testimonies of their lives, saying exactly this. I got an email from a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/i-ve-just-been-flooded-with-emails-of-people-just-giving-testimonies/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [In the military they said when in doubt on a test always pick 'C' I wonder if it stands for Confused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/in-the-military-they-said-when-in-doubt-on-a-test-always-pick-c-i/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [“I'm done doing this!' Obama said, finally erupting. 'We've all agreed on a plan. And we're all going to stick to that plan. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/i-m-done-doing-this-obama-said-finally-erupting-we-ve-all-agreed-on-a/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [In spite of the fact of my dad telling me that if I did well, I could go to the military, I said, 'No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gillum/in-spite-of-the-fact-of-my-dad-telling-me-that-if-i-did-well-i-could/) [Andrew Gillum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gillum/) > [The most powerful country in world history, which is sure to set its stamp on what follows, placed the entire government (executive, legislative, judicial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-most-powerful-country-in-world-history-which-is-sure-to-set-its/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [So the Bush-Obama administration has taken a fiscal stance diametrically opposed to that of the patron saint of free enterprise. While escalating war in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/so-the-bush-obama-administration-has-taken-a-fiscal-stance/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [As a mother, I - like everyone else - have to fill my gas tank in my car. I have to feed my family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-mccain/as-a-mother-i-like-everyone-else-have-to-fill-my-gas-tank-in-my-car-i/) [Cindy McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-mccain/) > [I also do not believe that the United States can let itself be driven into a political role by escalating terrorism, and therefore, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-also-do-not-believe-that-the-united-states-can-let-itself-be-driven/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [ Without reverence we \[people\] will gradually descend into ecocide. In the degree that the imperatives of the market - the temple of the Mall… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/without-reverence-we-people-will-gradually-descend-into-ecocide-in/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) > [“Today, as we have seen, fascism and communism are discredited, but are replaced by a paraphilic consumer culture driven by fantasy, desperately in search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/today-as-we-have-seen-fascism-and-communism-are-discredited-but-are/) [James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/) > [The new wrinkle is that escalating advances in technology are nourishing the narcissistic ego the way chicken manure nourishes a rose bush, while exploding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-new-wrinkle-is-that-escalating-advances-in-technology-are/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or heal. In all situations, it is my response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haim-ginott/i-can-be-a-tool-of-torture-or-an-instrument-of-inspiration-i-can/) [Haim Ginott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haim-ginott/) > [Many business leaders today view their jobs as entailing responsibility for the welfare of the wider community. These individuals do not define themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/many-business-leaders-today-view-their-jobs-as-entailing/) [Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/) ## More by Michael Hastings > [I have a deep-seated skepticism about the morality of violence. Violence is almost always morally corrosive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-have-a-deep-seated-skepticism-about-the-morality-of-violence/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The humanitarian argument is so selective I find it difficult to swallow. It's not even so much about the choice as to where we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-humanitarian-argument-is-so-selective-i-find-it-difficult-to/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [If Bill O'Reilly is calling you a far-left critic, in my book, no matter what your political persuasion is, that's probably - that probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/if-bill-o-reilly-is-calling-you-a-far-left-critic-in-my-book-no/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [I'm post-cynical on this stuff. I look at the El Salvador model as the glory days: Why don't we just fund the death squads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-m-post-cynical-on-this-stuff-i-look-at-the-el-salvador-model-as-the/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Whether or not Afghanistan would be a peaceful nation-state had we not gone into Iraq I doubt. Afghanistan is going to be Afghanistan, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/whether-or-not-afghanistan-would-be-a-peaceful-nation-state-had-we/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [One of their major initiatives was getting all officers on Facebook. So the question is, why are these people who are there to train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/one-of-their-major-initiatives-was-getting-all-officers-on-facebook/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [It was interesting watching the Afghanistan war review deliberations, this three-month process where Barack Obama did the most thorough foreign policy review ever by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/it-was-interesting-watching-the-afghanistan-war-review-deliberations/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/inside-the-white-house-there-were-always-extreme-amounts-of-doubt/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The State Department is essentially... I was going to use the word useless. But I don't know if that's correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-state-department-is-essentially-i-was-going-to-use-the-word/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [If someone tells you something is off the record, I don't print it. If they don't tell me something is off the record, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/if-someone-tells-you-something-is-off-the-record-i-don-t-print-it-if/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [If you polled the military in Afghanistan as to how many think we should be there or not, the numbers would probably be similar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/if-you-polled-the-military-in-afghanistan-as-to-how-many-think-we/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [Afghanistan would have been difficult enough without Iraq. Iraq made it impossible. 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I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/her-name-has-been-released-to-the-press-her-photograph-is-released/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The frightening aspect is that it's part of a larger effort from the Pentagon to tear down the wall between public affairs and propaganda,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/the-frightening-aspect-is-that-it-s-part-of-a-larger-effort-from-the/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [An information operations team was sent to Afghanistan to conduct various psychological operations on the Afghans and Taliban. The team was then asked not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/an-information-operations-team-was-sent-to-afghanistan-to-conduct/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) [Explore all 97 Michael Hastings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) ## More Adviser quotes > [In 1949 there was a new thing called Television, to which my agency and advisers opposed as a performance medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-young/in-1949-there-was-a-new-thing-called-television-to-which-my-agency/) [Loretta Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-young/) > [President Bush deliberately did not apologize for things and that’s because advisers around him, including those there, felt that the press corps would jump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gregory/president-bush-deliberately-did-not-apologize-for-things-and-that-s/) [David Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gregory/) > [The best adviser is God, the good listener is heart but the mind of person always confused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meicee/the-best-adviser-is-god-the-good-listener-is-heart-but-the-mind-of/) Meicee > [No adviser to a president is going to get his way all of the time, but at a minimum, that adviser should be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-stephens/no-adviser-to-a-president-is-going-to-get-his-way-all-of-the-time-but/) [Bret Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-stephens/) > [Men tend to leave their financial adviser at a single-digit-percent rate in any given year. 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