--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our countries are weaker: they cannot…" description: "\"Our countries are weaker: they cannot protect us from imported goods, they can't protect us from climate change, they cannot protect us from epidemics...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/mohsin-hamid-798_backlash_our-countries-are-weaker-they-cannot-pro_2128929.jpg" --- # Our countries are weaker: they cannot protect us from… ![“Our countries are weaker: they cannot protect us from imported goods, they can't protect us from climate change, they cannot protect us from epidemics. These things cross borders. But the kind of cooperation that would protect us from those things was completely lacking and because of this there's…” quote by Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/mohsin-hamid-798_backlash_our-countries-are-weaker-they-cannot-pro_2128929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/mohsin-hamid-798_backlash_our-countries-are-weaker-they-cannot-pro_2128929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/mohsin-hamid-798_backlash_our-countries-are-weaker-they-cannot-pro_2128929.jpg) > “Our countries are weaker: they cannot protect us from imported goods, they can't protect us from climate change, they cannot protect us from epidemics. These things cross borders. But the kind of cooperation that would protect us from those things was completely lacking and because of this there's been a backlash. People feel vulnerable.” [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. National security is eroding because global challenges cross borders and cooperation is insufficient, leading to public backlash and feelings of vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Global problems need cooperation, lack of it makes people feel unsafe. Key Takeaway Build stronger international collaboration. Themes security globalization public sentiment cooperation vulnerability Mood anxious hopeful determined Type political analytical call to action When to use this quote - government policy - public health - climate action - trade negotiations - community resilience Key Concepts interdependence policy failure trust deficit Questions to Reflect On - How can nations overcome mistrust to cooperate on global threats? - What role can citizens play in demanding collaborative solutions? A Different Perspective Cooperation is hard to achieve due to political rivalries and differing national interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backlash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backlash/) [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation/) [Cooperation Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation-protect-4379029/) [Countries Weaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-weaker-4379026/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Epidemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemics/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Goods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goods/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Lacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lacking/) [Our country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-country/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Protect Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-climate-2323349/) [Protect Epidemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-epidemics-4379028/) [Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable/) [Weaker Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weaker-protect-4379031/) ## Related quotes > [I believe climate change is real - and I believe we have to act to protect the climate as fast as we possibly can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-udall/i-believe-climate-change-is-real-and-i-believe-we-have-to-act-to/) [Mark Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-udall/) > [We need healthy forests if we want to protect our climate. As the climate changes, forests become more vulnerable to insect outbreaks, droughts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-noth/we-need-healthy-forests-if-we-want-to-protect-our-climate-as-the/) [Chris Noth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-noth/) > [“By the end of the century, societies would most likely be far richer than today, but almost 5 percent poorer than they would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-the-end-of-the-century-societies-would-most-likely-be-far-richer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of course there's a backlash. Of course. Look, half the country voted for Donald Trump. But I think one of the things that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-che/of-course-there-s-a-backlash-of-course-look-half-the-country-voted/) [Michael Che](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-che/) > [There's a backlash against womyn that's really bad right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/there-s-a-backlash-against-womyn-that-s-really-bad-right-now/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [Part of the challenge of the Barack Obama campaign was to try to neutralize that white backlash, and of course, he was masterful in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/part-of-the-challenge-of-the-barack-obama-campaign-was-to-try-to/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [God save the Queen and a fascist regime … a flabby toothless fascism, to be sure. Never go too far in any direction, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/god-save-the-queen-and-a-fascist-regime-a-flabby-toothless-fascism-to/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [In specific terms I don't think I could make any suggestions, but in general terms I believe that it is because Canadians have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/in-specific-terms-i-don-t-think-i-could-make-any-suggestions-but-in/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [Israel must never be expected to jeopardize her security: if she was ever foolish enough to do so, and then suffered for it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/israel-must-never-be-expected-to-jeopardize-her-security-if-she-was/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [Just days after Mitt Romney suggested he might run for president, there's been a backlash. The backlash is led by Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/just-days-after-mitt-romney-suggested-he-might-run-for-president/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You can be the outcast or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love. Or you can start speaking up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/you-can-be-the-outcast-or-be-the-backlash-of-somebody-s-lack-of-love/) [Sara Bareilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-bareilles/) > [Yes, I do realize that men in sports media also face criticism and backlash, but the vitriol that is directed at women, especially women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/yes-i-do-realize-that-men-in-sports-media-also-face-criticism-and/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [I'm the one who will take chances, not worry about the backlash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/i-m-the-one-who-will-take-chances-not-worry-about-the-backlash/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [I tend to get reactions just by being on screen, because I guess I'm physically queer-coded or something. Especially with 'Star Wars;' I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-o-brian/i-tend-to-get-reactions-just-by-being-on-screen-because-i-guess-i-m/) [Katy O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-o-brian/) ## More by Mohsin Hamid > [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“I met her eyes, and for the first time I perceived that there was something broken behind them, like a tiny crack in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-met-her-eyes-and-for-the-first-time-i-perceived-that-there-was/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“muscularity, made more pronounced by her gauntness, and the near-inanimate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/muscularity-made-more-pronounced-by-her-gauntness-and-the-near/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“In this group, everyone was foreign, and so, in a sense, no one was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/in-this-group-everyone-was-foreign-and-so-in-a-sense-no-one-was/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“It seemed to me then - and to be honest, sir, seems to me still - that America was engaged only in posturing. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-seemed-to-me-then-and-to-be-honest-sir-seems-to-me-still-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [When the uncertain future becomes the past, the past in turn becomes uncertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-uncertain-future-becomes-the-past-the-past-in-turn-becomes/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-turned-on-it-seems-to-produce-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I think fiction allows you to inhabit new domains and it's you, the reader living in that domain for a few days that results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-fiction-allows-you-to-inhabit-new-domains-and-it-s-you-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“Often, during my stay in your country, such comparisons troubled me. In fact, they did more than trouble me: they made me resentful. Four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/often-during-my-stay-in-your-country-such-comparisons-troubled-me-in/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Americans need to educate themselves, from elementary school onward, about what their country has done abroad. And they need to play a more active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/americans-need-to-educate-themselves-from-elementary-school-onward/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I'm not a representative of Pakistan; I'm just an example that Pakistanis are different from each other. I believe it in my fiction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-m-not-a-representative-of-pakistan-i-m-just-an-example-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“end of a couple is like a death, and the notion of death, of temporariness, can remind us of the value of things,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/end-of-a-couple-is-like-a-death-and-the-notion-of-death-of/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [NYC doesn't have a big sign saying "You must love diversity and the rights of all people." And that's not what makes you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/nyc-doesn-t-have-a-big-sign-saying-you-must-love-diversity-and-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) [Explore all 361 Mohsin Hamid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## More Backlash quotes > [I tend to get reactions just by being on screen, because I guess I'm physically queer-coded or something. Especially with 'Star Wars;' I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-o-brian/i-tend-to-get-reactions-just-by-being-on-screen-because-i-guess-i-m/) [Katy O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-o-brian/) > [I'm the one who will take chances, not worry about the backlash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/i-m-the-one-who-will-take-chances-not-worry-about-the-backlash/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [Yes, I do realize that men in sports media also face criticism and backlash, but the vitriol that is directed at women, especially women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/yes-i-do-realize-that-men-in-sports-media-also-face-criticism-and/) [Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/) > [You can be the outcast or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love. Or you can start speaking up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/you-can-be-the-outcast-or-be-the-backlash-of-somebody-s-lack-of-love/) [Sara Bareilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-bareilles/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Just days after Mitt Romney suggested he might run for president, there's been a backlash. The backlash is led by Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/just-days-after-mitt-romney-suggested-he-might-run-for-president/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [Israel must never be expected to jeopardize her security: if she was ever foolish enough to do so, and then suffered for it, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/israel-must-never-be-expected-to-jeopardize-her-security-if-she-was/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [In specific terms I don't think I could make any suggestions, but in general terms I believe that it is because Canadians have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/in-specific-terms-i-don-t-think-i-could-make-any-suggestions-but-in/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [God save the Queen and a fascist regime … a flabby toothless fascism, to be sure. Never go too far in any direction, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/god-save-the-queen-and-a-fascist-regime-a-flabby-toothless-fascism-to/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [Part of the challenge of the Barack Obama campaign was to try to neutralize that white backlash, and of course, he was masterful in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/part-of-the-challenge-of-the-barack-obama-campaign-was-to-try-to/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [There's a backlash against womyn that's really bad right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/there-s-a-backlash-against-womyn-that-s-really-bad-right-now/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [Of course there's a backlash. Of course. Look, half the country voted for Donald Trump. But I think one of the things that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-che/of-course-there-s-a-backlash-of-course-look-half-the-country-voted/) [Michael Che](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-che/) > [I get so much backlash in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-nash/i-get-so-much-backlash-in-hollywood/) [Jason Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-nash/) > [Every time a militant Islamist terrorist shoots somebody up, what does Barack Obama do and the Democrats? They come out and they demand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-time-a-militant-islamist-terrorist-shoots-somebody-up-what-does/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“We seem to be in a continuing feedback loop of repeating a past that our country has yet to address. Our history is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/we-seem-to-be-in-a-continuing-feedback-loop-of-repeating-a-past-that/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) [Browse all 161 Backlash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backlash/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our countries are weaker: they cannot protect us from imported goods, they can't protect us from climate change, they cannot protect us from epidemics. These things cross borders. But the kind of cooperation that would protect us from those things was completely lacking and because of this there's been a backlash. 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