--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By the time Bill Clinton left office in…" description: "\"“By the time Bill Clinton left office in 2001, an Operation Other Than War, as Pentagon forces called them, could go on indefinitely, sort of on autopi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59a/rachel-maddow-1240_military-operations_by-the-time-bill-clinton-left-office-in_1896373.jpg" --- # By the time Bill Clinton left office in 2001, an Operation… ![“By the time Bill Clinton left office in 2001, an Operation Other Than War, as Pentagon forces called them, could go on indefinitely, sort of on autopilot - without real political costs or consequences, or much civilian notice. We'd gotten used to it. By 2001, the ability of a president to start…” quote by Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59a/rachel-maddow-1240_military-operations_by-the-time-bill-clinton-left-office-in_1896373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59a/rachel-maddow-1240_military-operations_by-the-time-bill-clinton-left-office-in_1896373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59a/rachel-maddow-1240_military-operations_by-the-time-bill-clinton-left-office-in_1896373.jpg) > ““By the time Bill Clinton left office in 2001, an Operation Other Than War, as Pentagon forces called them, could go on indefinitely, sort of on autopilot - without real political costs or consequences, or much civilian notice. We'd gotten used to it. By 2001, the ability of a president to start and wage military operations without (or even in spite of) Congress was established precedent.”” [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The U.S. began conducting endless, low‑profile military actions without clear political accountability, normalizing perpetual warfare. **In simple terms:** War becomes routine without oversight. Key Takeaway Demand transparency and congressional oversight. Themes military politics accountability Mood urgent analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - policy debates - public protests - media analysis Key Concepts democracy foreign policy civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can ensure civilian oversight of military actions? - How does public awareness affect policy change? A Different Perspective Such operations may erode democratic norms over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [2001 Operation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/2001-operation-2771512/) [Clinton Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton-left-935414/) [Military operations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-operations/) [Operation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operation/) [President Start](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-start-614182/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in term limits for presidents because I think that there is no doubt I'm a better president now than I was when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-believe-in-term-limits-for-presidents-because-i-think-that-there-is-2/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [You have got to know what you're doing on your very first day there. So, look, this is not an attack or anything of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/you-have-got-to-know-what-you-re-doing-on-your-very-first-day-there/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [When it comes to the qualifications that we should demand of our president, to start with, we need someone who will take the job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/when-it-comes-to-the-qualifications-that-we-should-demand-of-our/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Clinton left the White House with all the class of an XFL halftime show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/clinton-left-the-white-house-with-all-the-class-of-an-xfl-halftime/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Bill Clinton left office with a more than 60% approval rating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/bill-clinton-left-office-with-a-more-than-60-approval-rating/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [If Hillary Clinton would have left Bill, that would have ended his presidency, not via impeachment but that would have elevated his total lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/if-hillary-clinton-would-have-left-bill-that-would-have-ended-his/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The media does not love Hillary Clinton left, right or center.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedediah-bila/the-media-does-not-love-hillary-clinton-left-right-or-center/) [Jedediah Bila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedediah-bila/) > [It was Hillary Clinton who left Americans in harm's way in Benghazi and after four Americans fell, said: ''What difference, at this point, does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/it-was-hillary-clinton-who-left-americans-in-harm-s-way-in-benghazi/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Odyssey Dawn? That's not a military operation. That's a Carnival Cruise ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/odyssey-dawn-that-s-not-a-military-operation-that-s-a-carnival-cruise/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [The reality of Canadian history is that we've been willing to do the important things the world demanded of us: fighting in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-alexander/the-reality-of-canadian-history-is-that-we-ve-been-willing-to-do-the/) [Chris Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-alexander/) > [There are markets extending from Mali, Indonesia, way outside the purview of any one government which operated under civil laws, so contracts weren't, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/there-are-markets-extending-from-mali-indonesia-way-outside-the/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [Military operations cannot be tidy or free of friction - particularly in a coalition whose contributing nations see the campaign through national prisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/military-operations-cannot-be-tidy-or-free-of-friction-particularly/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > [The GRU is used for both tactical intelligence collection in the battlefield in support of Russian military operations and also strategic active measures or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-alperovitch/the-gru-is-used-for-both-tactical-intelligence-collection-in-the/) [Dmitri Alperovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-alperovitch/) > [You must all be aware that modern war is not a mere matter of military operations. It involves the whole strength and all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/you-must-all-be-aware-that-modern-war-is-not-a-mere-matter-of/) [Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/) > [“The ultimate objective of all military operations is the destruction of the enemy’s armed forces and his will to fight.”\* This sums up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/the-ultimate-objective-of-all-military-operations-is-the-destruction/) [J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/) ## More by Rachel Maddow > [ Ben Carson also denounced \[Donald\] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s-ban-all-muslims-proposal/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ Senator \[Tom\] Cotton has campaigned on wanting to kill Obamacare. He voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act back in January, but he now… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/senator-tom-cotton-has-campaigned-on-wanting-to-kill-obamacare-he/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ \[Tom Cotton\] has been an absolute champion of the idea of getting rid of Obamacare, scrapping the Affordable Care Act. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/tom-cotton-has-been-an-absolute-champion-of-the-idea-of-getting-rid/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [If you're working on better conditions for prisoners, if you make that a popular issue and you invite mainstream media to weigh in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/if-you-re-working-on-better-conditions-for-prisoners-if-you-make-that/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Liberals say that we are secular country with a majority of Christians, absolutely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/liberals-say-that-we-are-secular-country-with-a-majority-of/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [What's insulting to the American people, the Senate, to this whole process is that the Republicans, with all other nominees, have said Democrats are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/what-s-insulting-to-the-american-people-the-senate-to-this-whole/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Oswald Mosley's movement, it was a big movement. It was obviously anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, it was populist. Mosley wanted to replace the parliamentary system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/oswald-mosley-s-movement-it-was-a-big-movement-it-was-obviously-anti/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Pentagon dollars are essentially seen as a different kind of funding that doesn't have to stand for itself and make an argument for itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/pentagon-dollars-are-essentially-seen-as-a-different-kind-of-funding/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Military preparedness is absolutely a form of strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/military-preparedness-is-absolutely-a-form-of-strength/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [When Conservatives crusade against government while they are trying to be appointed to head the government, I think that's weird!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/when-conservatives-crusade-against-government-while-they-are-trying/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [One of the manifestations of depression for me is that I lose my will. And I thereby lose my ability to focus. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/one-of-the-manifestations-of-depression-for-me-is-that-i-lose-my-will/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [There had been a proposed plank for the platform that said the Republican Party believed the United States should support Ukraine in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/there-had-been-a-proposed-plank-for-the-platform-that-said-the/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [John McCain has refused to ever criticize Sarah Palin, to ever admit there was anything wrong about her choice. He has been capital "L"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/john-mccain-has-refused-to-ever-criticize-sarah-palin-to-ever-admit/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ The more you push back on Donald \[Trump\], whether you're in the media or whether you are in the GOP establishment, the stronger his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-more-you-push-back-on-donald-trump-whether-you-re-in-the-media-or/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) [Explore all 268 Rachel Maddow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## More Military operations quotes > [“The ultimate objective of all military operations is the destruction of the enemy’s armed forces and his will to fight.”\* This sums up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/the-ultimate-objective-of-all-military-operations-is-the-destruction/) [J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/) > [You must all be aware that modern war is not a mere matter of military operations. It involves the whole strength and all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/you-must-all-be-aware-that-modern-war-is-not-a-mere-matter-of/) [Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/) > [The GRU is used for both tactical intelligence collection in the battlefield in support of Russian military operations and also strategic active measures or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmitri-alperovitch/the-gru-is-used-for-both-tactical-intelligence-collection-in-the/) [Dmitri Alperovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmitri-alperovitch/) > [Military operations cannot be tidy or free of friction - particularly in a coalition whose contributing nations see the campaign through national prisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-jackson/military-operations-cannot-be-tidy-or-free-of-friction-particularly/) [Mike Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-jackson/) > [There are markets extending from Mali, Indonesia, way outside the purview of any one government which operated under civil laws, so contracts weren't, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/there-are-markets-extending-from-mali-indonesia-way-outside-the/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [The reality of Canadian history is that we've been willing to do the important things the world demanded of us: fighting in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-alexander/the-reality-of-canadian-history-is-that-we-ve-been-willing-to-do-the/) [Chris Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-alexander/) > [Odyssey Dawn? That's not a military operation. That's a Carnival Cruise ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/odyssey-dawn-that-s-not-a-military-operation-that-s-a-carnival-cruise/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Modern warfare is by no means merely a matter of military operations. Economic affairs stand together with them in the first rank of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/modern-warfare-is-by-no-means-merely-a-matter-of-military-operations/) [Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/) > [ \[M\]ilitary metaphors have more and more come to infuse all aspects of the description of the medical situation. Disease is seen as an invasion… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/m-ilitary-metaphors-have-more-and-more-come-to-infuse-all-aspects-of/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“TNI harus terus tingkatkan postur dan kapabilitasnya, termasuk penguasaan “Revolution in Military Affairs” (RMA), melakukan Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), serta kemampuan peace-keeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sbyudhoyono/tni-harus-terus-tingkatkan-postur-dan-kapabilitasnya-termasuk/) [SBYudhoyono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sbyudhoyono/) > [“Military operations alone cannot defeat an insurgency because only economic development and political action can address most sources of disaffection. If military operations are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-r-mcmaster-2/military-operations-alone-cannot-defeat-an-insurgency-because-only/) [H.R. McMaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-r-mcmaster-2/) > [The struggle to maintain peace is immeasurably more difficult than any military operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-o-hare-mccormick/the-struggle-to-maintain-peace-is-immeasurably-more-difficult-than/) [Anne O'Hare McCormick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-o-hare-mccormick/) > [Look what happened with regard to our invasion into Afghanistan, how we apparently intentionally let bin Laden get away. That was done by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-hinchey/look-what-happened-with-regard-to-our-invasion-into-afghanistan-how/) [Maurice Hinchey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-hinchey/) > [Thus, though I have heard of successful military operations that were clumsy but swift, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/thus-though-i-have-heard-of-successful-military-operations-that-were/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [OK, so $1 trillion is what it costs to run the federal government for one year. So this money's going to run through September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-davis/ok-so-1-trillion-is-what-it-costs-to-run-the-federal-government-for/) [Susan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-davis/) [Browse all 41 Military operations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-operations/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“By the time Bill Clinton left office in 2001, an Operation Other Than War, as Pentagon forces called them, could go on indefinitely, sort of on autopilot - without real political costs or consequences, or much civilian notice. We'd gotten used to it. 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