--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't believe there is such thing as a…" description: "\"I don't believe there is such thing as a just or unjust war; there are avoidable and unavoidable wars. Sometimes you have no choice but to go to war.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/mike-hoffman-70468_believe_i-don-t-believe-there-is-such-thing-as-a_2006345.jpg" --- # I don't believe there is such thing as a just or unjust… ![“I don't believe there is such thing as a just or unjust war; there are avoidable and unavoidable wars. Sometimes you have no choice but to go to war.” quote by Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/mike-hoffman-70468_believe_i-don-t-believe-there-is-such-thing-as-a_2006345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/mike-hoffman-70468_believe_i-don-t-believe-there-is-such-thing-as-a_2006345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43b/mike-hoffman-70468_believe_i-don-t-believe-there-is-such-thing-as-a_2006345.jpg) > “I don't believe there is such thing as a just or unjust war; there are avoidable and unavoidable wars. Sometimes you have no choice but to go to war.” [Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War can be classified as avoidable or unavoidable, but moral judgments of just or unjust are oversimplified. **In simple terms:** Wars are either avoidable or unavoidable, not simply just or unjust. Key Takeaway Recognize the complexity of conflict and avoid binary moral labels. Themes ethics conflict politics Mood thoughtful serious Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy analysis - military strategy - public debate - education - media reporting Key Concepts moral philosophy realism determinism Questions to Reflect On - What criteria determine a war's inevitability? - How can societies address avoidable conflicts? A Different Perspective Moral labeling can oversimplify nuanced geopolitical realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Don't believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-believe/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Unavoidable Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unavoidable-wars-3557730/) [Unjust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unjust/) [Unjust war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unjust-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Avoidable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-avoidable-3557731/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) [Wars Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars-choice-2293352/) ## Related quotes > [Today, war of necessity is used by critics of military action to describe unavoidable response to an attack like that on Pearl Harbor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/today-war-of-necessity-is-used-by-critics-of-military-action-to/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Unjust war is to be abhorred; but woe to the nation that does not make ready to hold its own in time of need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/unjust-war-is-to-be-abhorred-but-woe-to-the-nation-that-does-not-make/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Borrowers are nearly always ill-spenders, and it is with lent money that all evil is mainly done and all unjust war protracted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/borrowers-are-nearly-always-ill-spenders-and-it-is-with-lent-money/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I've been there for so many crossroads in American history. My whole political life spans the birth of the environmental movement, the women's movement,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-boxer/i-ve-been-there-for-so-many-crossroads-in-american-history-my-whole/) [Barbara Boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-boxer/) > [I abhor unjust war. I abhor injustice and bullying by the strong at the expense of the weak, whether among nations or individuals. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-abhor-unjust-war-i-abhor-injustice-and-bullying-by-the-strong-at/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-gates/i-will-always-be-an-advocate-in-terms-of-wars-of-necessity-i-am-just/) [Robert M. Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-gates/) > [I think what Mr. Trump has made clear is that he would not undertake optional wars, what I have called wars of choice, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/i-think-what-mr-trump-has-made-clear-is-that-he-would-not-undertake/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Wars are not a choice we make for no reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzipi-livni/wars-are-not-a-choice-we-make-for-no-reason/) [Tzipi Livni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzipi-livni/) > [You have a situation in which the U.S. is fighting three unjust wars and wasting trillions of dollars in public funds, all the while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/you-have-a-situation-in-which-the-u-s-is-fighting-three-unjust-wars/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [“Gendemen, I have resolved never to make an unjust war, but to end a just one only with the utter ruin of my enemies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/gendemen-i-have-resolved-never-to-make-an-unjust-war-but-to-end-a/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [George, your reckless and wanton foreign policies killed my son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, in the illegal and unjust war on Iraq. Helping to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/george-your-reckless-and-wanton-foreign-policies-killed-my-son-spc/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [“writers regard unjust war as not only immoral, but as one of the greatest of crimes—murder on a large scale.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/writers-regard-unjust-war-as-not-only-immoral-but-as-one-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [War can only be qualified by its object, and there is neither foreign war nor civil war, there is only just or unjust war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/war-can-only-be-qualified-by-its-object-and-there-is-neither-foreign/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [We started America with the sin of slavery that led right into the post-reconstruction period which was the greatest period of domestic terrorism in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/we-started-america-with-the-sin-of-slavery-that-led-right-into-the/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [We desire peace. However, if imperialism insists on fighting a war, we will have no alternative but to take the firm resolution to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/we-desire-peace-however-if-imperialism-insists-on-fighting-a-war-we/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) ## More by Mike Hoffman > [War is horrible no matter what. There's going to be atrocities, there's going to be horrible things that happen in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hoffman/war-is-horrible-no-matter-what-there-s-going-to-be-atrocities-there-s/) [Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) > [I'm not a pacifist. I do believe that, unfortunately, war is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hoffman/i-m-not-a-pacifist-i-do-believe-that-unfortunately-war-is-necessary/) [Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) > [We saw some resistance in the Wichita market until we partnered with EPIC. The increased awareness and information handed out regarding ethanol-enriched fuel made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-hoffman/we-saw-some-resistance-in-the-wichita-market-until-we-partnered-with/) [Mike Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) [Explore all 4 Mike Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-hoffman/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't believe there is such thing as a just or unjust war; there are avoidable and unavoidable wars. 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