--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And when you say the policies are what…" description: "\"And when you say the policies are what caused this war - American policies - that's not to say that they're wrong. It's not to say that the policies we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/michael-scheuer-7471_belief_and-when-you-say-the-policies-are-what-c_1469098.jpg" --- # And when you say the policies are what caused this war… ![“And when you say the policies are what caused this war - American policies - that's not to say that they're wrong. It's not to say that the policies were made by madmen or evil people. It's simply to say that you better understand the motivation of your enemy if you're going to defeat him. And the…” quote by Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/michael-scheuer-7471_belief_and-when-you-say-the-policies-are-what-c_1469098.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/michael-scheuer-7471_belief_and-when-you-say-the-policies-are-what-c_1469098.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/michael-scheuer-7471_belief_and-when-you-say-the-policies-are-what-c_1469098.jpg) > “And when you say the policies are what caused this war - American policies - that's not to say that they're wrong. It's not to say that the policies were made by madmen or evil people. It's simply to say that you better understand the motivation of your enemy if you're going to defeat him. And the man who is motivated by a belief that his religion is being attacked by a superpower is much more dangerous than a man who's mad at you because you have women in the workplace.” [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding an opponent’s motivations is essential for effective strategy, beyond labeling them as evil. **In simple terms:** Know the enemy’s beliefs to defeat them. Key Takeaway Study motivations, not just actions. Themes strategy psychology conflict Mood analytical serious Type strategic political When to use this quote - military planning - diplomacy - policy making Key Concepts geopolitics enemy analysis Questions to Reflect On - What drives your adversary’s actions? - How can you balance empathy with security? A Different Perspective It can lead to empathy for hostile actors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-people/) [Madmen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madmen/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Superpower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superpower/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Workplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workplace/) ## Related quotes > [It was not a religion that attacked us that September day. It was al-Qaeda. We will not sacrifice the liberties we cherish or hunker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-not-a-religion-that-attacked-us-that-september-day-it-was-al/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Where freedom of religion has been attacked, the attack has come from sources opposed to democracy. Where democracy has been overthrown, the spirit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/where-freedom-of-religion-has-been-attacked-the-attack-has-come-from/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [All countries in my part of the world, we want democracy to prevail. I told the people, 'If you want American policies to stop,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/all-countries-in-my-part-of-the-world-we-want-democracy-to-prevail-i/) [Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/) > [Israel is the representative of the United States in the Middle East. Its policies are so integrated with American policies that they use the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/israel-is-the-representative-of-the-united-states-in-the-middle-east/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [“The war was an insanity he had never understood, and no one in Phoenix had been able to explain it to him. At least,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-e-butler/the-war-was-an-insanity-he-had-never-understood-and-no-one-in-phoenix/) [Octavia E. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-e-butler/) > [American policies toward Asians reached a nadir in 1924, with the implementation of a law that sought 'to preserve the idea of American homogeneity'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/american-policies-toward-asians-reached-a-nadir-in-1924-with-the/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [Lenin was the first to discover that capitalism 'inevitably' caused war; and he discovered this only when the First World War was already being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-p-taylor/lenin-was-the-first-to-discover-that-capitalism-inevitably-caused-war/) [A. J. P. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-p-taylor/) > [Preparedness never caused a war and unpreparedness never prevented one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-prag-kahn/preparedness-never-caused-a-war-and-unpreparedness-never-prevented-one/) Florence Prag Kahn > [I'm absolutely convinced of that. Israel is the representative of the United States in that part of the world. Its policies are so integrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/i-m-absolutely-convinced-of-that-israel-is-the-representative-of-the/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [“My mother was mad, but I was not. My father was old, but I was young. Like Spartan Helen, I caused a war. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/my-mother-was-mad-but-i-was-not-my-father-was-old-but-i-was-young/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [In the Arab mindset, democratization may not be an exclusively negative term. But it's associated closely with American policies and the occupation of Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-kepel/in-the-arab-mindset-democratization-may-not-be-an-exclusively/) Gilles Kepel > [Our policy is simple: We are not going to betray our friends, reward the enemies of freedom, or permit fear and retreat to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-policy-is-simple-we-are-not-going-to-betray-our-friends-reward-2/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The Jews caused the war, the Jews caused the outbreak of thieving and robbery all over the country, the Jews caused the inefficiency of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/the-jews-caused-the-war-the-jews-caused-the-outbreak-of-thieving-and/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Our policy is simple: We are not going to betray our friends, reward the enemies of freedom, or permit fear and retreat to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/our-policy-is-simple-we-are-not-going-to-betray-our-friends-reward/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [They wouldn’t have believed me, and if they had they would have wanted me to explain. And I had no explanation, no answers. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-weiner/they-wouldn-t-have-believed-me-and-if-they-had-they-would-have-wanted/) [Jennifer Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-weiner/) ## More by Michael Scheuer > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Well, there are certain pockets of improvement. The one that I think is most important is that state and local law enforcement levels have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/well-there-are-certain-pockets-of-improvement-the-one-that-i-think-is/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [You become an anti-Semite. And as powerful as the Israeli lobby is, the Saudi lobby is just as powerful. In fact, the Saudis probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/you-become-an-anti-semite-and-as-powerful-as-the-israeli-lobby-is-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Without the connotation good or bad, bin Laden's a great man in the sense that he's influenced the course of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/without-the-connotation-good-or-bad-bin-laden-s-a-great-man-in-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I know these days it sounds a little odd, but American governments are very fearful of European reaction. 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It was really the first time the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-uniqueness-of-the-unit-was-more-or-less-that-it-was-focused-on-a/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I think it's very instructive to look at a man like Ramsey Ahmad Yousef, who almost brought down the World Trade Center in 1993.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-think-it-s-very-instructive-to-look-at-a-man-like-ramsey-ahmad/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The treatise found that he was perfectly within his rights to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-treatise-found-that-he-was-perfectly-within-his-rights-to-use-them/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Every mujahadeen who comes in from outside the country finds an environment where Arabic is spoken. So in that sense, it's a tremendous come-on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/every-mujahadeen-who-comes-in-from-outside-the-country-finds-an/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [We've gone thorough religious wars and civil wars. America has gone through slavery, we've all gone through two world wars, segregation. Ultimately it's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/we-ve-gone-thorough-religious-wars-and-civil-wars-america-has-gone/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I don't know what our capabilities are. If I were there, I think it would be nutty to do that. The only country on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-don-t-know-what-our-capabilities-are-if-i-were-there-i-think-it/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [One of the reasons they didn't go to Bosnia, bin Laden has explained extensively, was because they couldn't establish a base anywhere. Not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/one-of-the-reasons-they-didn-t-go-to-bosnia-bin-laden-has-explained/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Where he was, where his cells were, where his logistical channels were, how he communicated. Who his allies were. Who donated to them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/where-he-was-where-his-cells-were-where-his-logistical-channels-were/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) [Explore all 91 Michael Scheuer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. 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