--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But what counter-insurgency really comes…" description: "\"But what counter-insurgency really comes down to is the protection of the capitalists back in America, their property and their privileges. U.S. nation..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/philip-agee-72207_america_but-what-counter-insurgency-really-comes_933977.jpg" --- # But what counter-insurgency really comes down to is the… ![“But what counter-insurgency really comes down to is the protection of the capitalists back in America, their property and their privileges. U.S. national security, as preached by U.S. leaders, is the security of the capitalist class in the US, not the security of the rest of the people.” quote by Philip Agee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/philip-agee-72207_america_but-what-counter-insurgency-really-comes_933977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/philip-agee-72207_america_but-what-counter-insurgency-really-comes_933977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/philip-agee-72207_america_but-what-counter-insurgency-really-comes_933977.jpg) > “But what counter-insurgency really comes down to is the protection of the capitalists back in America, their property and their privileges. U.S. national security, as preached by U.S. leaders, is the security of the capitalist class in the US, not the security of the rest of the people.” [Philip Agee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-agee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. U.S. security claims protect capitalist interests, not the broader populace. **In simple terms:** National security serves elite class, not all citizens. Key Takeaway Question whose interests security are serving. Themes politics class security power inequality Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy analysis - activism - academic research - public debate Key Concepts Marxist critique state theory foreign policy Questions to Reflect On - Who truly benefits from national security policies? - How can security be redefined for the many? A Different Perspective Complex security issues involve multiple stakeholders beyond class. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Capitalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalist/) [Capitalists America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalists-america-1542143/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Counter Insurgency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counter-insurgency-1314368/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Insurgency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insurgency/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) [Protection Capitalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection-capitalists-1542141/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Security Capitalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-capitalist-1542142/) ## Related quotes > [You can't kill your way to success in a counter insurgency effort. You have to protect the people, get the civil military balance right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-stavridis/you-can-t-kill-your-way-to-success-in-a-counter-insurgency-effort-you/) [James G. Stavridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-stavridis/) > [But the key shift in focus will be from counter-insurgency operations to more and more cooperation with Iraqi security forces and to building Iraqi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abizaid/but-the-key-shift-in-focus-will-be-from-counter-insurgency-operations/) [John Abizaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abizaid/) > [I made this bad joke on Twitter saying, "I want to put in my first no-bid contract to train the Libyan army and police…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hastings/i-made-this-bad-joke-on-twitter-saying-i-want-to-put-in-my-first-no/) [Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hastings/) > [The most stupid mistake a counter-insurgency operation can make is alienating the population. If you alienate the population, you're finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meles-zenawi/the-most-stupid-mistake-a-counter-insurgency-operation-can-make-is/) [Meles Zenawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meles-zenawi/) > [Counter-insurgency warfare is not a simple thing... it's not as simple as, like, good guys versus bad guys. It is a mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/counter-insurgency-warfare-is-not-a-simple-thing-it-s-not-as-simple/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [“Constructive insurgency: Is the use of legal and imaginative means of resistance to reform a system of repression. Generally through the use of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/constructive-insurgency-is-the-use-of-legal-and-imaginative-means-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am encouraged by the news today that United States special operations personnel found, identified and killed the terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the operational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-fitzpatrick/i-am-encouraged-by-the-news-today-that-united-states-special/) [Mike Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-fitzpatrick/) > [The presence of American troops is fueling the insurgency in Iraq, as acknowledged by General Casey and numerous other experts, and is helping terrorist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-conyers/the-presence-of-american-troops-is-fueling-the-insurgency-in-iraq-as/) [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) > [We'd be better off if the whole purpose of the adventure in Iraq was, say, to protect Israel or to protect the flow of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/we-d-be-better-off-if-the-whole-purpose-of-the-adventure-in-iraq-was/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [I think we may well have some kind of presence there over a period of time... The level of activity that we see today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-think-we-may-well-have-some-kind-of-presence-there-over-a-period-of/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [I think Martin Luther King would always keep track of collective insurgencies among poor and working people. He was concerned about the treatment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-think-martin-luther-king-would-always-keep-track-of-collective/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ There \[in Afghanistan\] is also a growing insurgency threat from al-Qaida, the Taliban and other extremist elements, some of which comes from the tribal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/there-in-afghanistan-is-also-a-growing-insurgency-threat-from-al/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [We must support initiatives that provide clear, concrete measures and milestones that our troops need for defeating the insurgency, building up Iraqi security forces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/we-must-support-initiatives-that-provide-clear-concrete-measures-and/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) > [ \[In response to the question "Do you think that you underestimated the insurgency's strength?"\] I think so. I guess if I look back on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/in-response-to-the-question-do-you-think-that-you-underestimated-the/) [Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/) > [Almost immediately, I remember right when Tikrit even fell, a few days after Baghdad fell, there was talks of insurgency, there was talks of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farnaz-fassihi/almost-immediately-i-remember-right-when-tikrit-even-fell-a-few-days/) [Farnaz Fassihi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farnaz-fassihi/) ## More by Philip Agee > [ What the Agency \[CIA\] does is ordered by the President and the NSC \[National Security Council\]. The Agency neither makes decisions on policy nor… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-agee/what-the-agency-cia-does-is-ordered-by-the-president-and-the-nsc/) [Philip Agee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-agee/) > [A considerable proportion of the developed world's prosperity rests on paying the lowest possible prices for the poor countries' primary products and on exporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-agee/a-considerable-proportion-of-the-developed-world-s-prosperity-rests/) [Philip Agee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-agee/) > [You get so used to lying that after a while it's hard to remember what the truth is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-agee/you-get-so-used-to-lying-that-after-a-while-it-s-hard-to-remember/) [Philip Agee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-agee/) [Explore all 4 Philip Agee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-agee/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? 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