--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some people just wanted to blow it all to…" description: "\"Some people just wanted to blow it all to hell, animal, vegetable and mineral. They wanted a Vietnam they could fit into their car ashtrays.\" — Michael..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-herr-21675_animal_some-people-just-wanted-to-blow-it-all-t_3216801.jpg" --- # Some people just wanted to blow it all to hell, animal… ![“Some people just wanted to blow it all to hell, animal, vegetable and mineral. They wanted a Vietnam they could fit into their car ashtrays.” quote by Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-herr-21675_animal_some-people-just-wanted-to-blow-it-all-t_3216801.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-herr-21675_animal_some-people-just-wanted-to-blow-it-all-t_3216801.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/michael-herr-21675_animal_some-people-just-wanted-to-blow-it-all-t_3216801.jpg) > “Some people just wanted to blow it all to hell, animal, vegetable and mineral. They wanted a Vietnam they could fit into their car ashtrays.” [Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-herr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People desired total destruction, wanting a war that could be contained and controlled. **In simple terms:** People wanted a controllable, total war. Key Takeaway Beware the allure of extreme solutions. Themes war destruction control Mood cynical somber Type political historical When to use this quote - policy analysis - historical study - media criticism Key Concepts Political critique military history Questions to Reflect On - Is total control ever realistic? - What drives societies toward extreme actions? A Different Perspective Such extremes ignore complex realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Ashtrays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashtrays/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Minerals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minerals/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) ## Related quotes > [I think it's gone much too far. 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Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/) > [“He never was worth the powder it'd take to blow him to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-damsgaard/he-never-was-worth-the-powder-it-d-take-to-blow-him-to-hell/) Shirley Damsgaard > [I think we got in more trouble with Aunt Tasha,ʺ said Christian. ʺShe was kind of pissed off that we didnʹt tell her what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-think-we-got-in-more-trouble-with-aunt-tasha-said-christian-she-was/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [The last thing I wanted to do was blow up another school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-last-thing-i-wanted-to-do-was-blow-up-another-school/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I marked their location in case Kell wanted to blow them up or something.” “I don’t have to blow up everything I see. 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Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) ## More by Michael Herr > [“I met this kid from Miles City, Montana, who read the Stars and Stripes every day, checking the casualty lists to see if by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-herr/i-met-this-kid-from-miles-city-montana-who-read-the-stars-and-stripes/) [Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-herr/) > [“We took space back quickly, expensively, with total panic and close to maximum brutality. Our machine was devastating. And versatile. It could do everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-herr/we-took-space-back-quickly-expensively-with-total-panic-and-close-to/) [Michael Herr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-herr/) > [“And they were killers. 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