Actors Quote by Rand Paul
![“I think we can all agree [Bashar] Assad is a bad and evil actor, but I'm not so sure that we want the Islamic rebels to be in charge of Syria either.” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/065/rand-paul-606_actors_i-think-we-can-all-agree-bashar-assad-is_2125585.jpg)
“I think we can all agree [Bashar] Assad is a bad and evil actor, but I'm not so sure that we want the Islamic rebels to be in charge of Syria either.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Political Commentary on Syria, 2021
Assad is condemned, but replacing him with rebels raises concerns about stability.
In simple terms: Bad leaders don’t guarantee good successors.
Key Takeaway
Weigh moral judgments against practical outcomes.
Themes
politics
leadership
stability
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- policy formulation
- foreign aid decisions
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
ethical decision‑making
power vacuums
Questions to Reflect On
- What criteria should guide leadership replacement?
- Can idealism outweigh pragmatic risks?
A Different Perspective
Choosing rebels may lead to further chaos.
![“The other thing I said is the great irony is you will be back fighting against your own weapons. Had [Bashar] Assad been bombed when he used chemical weapons two years ago, ISIS would be in charge of all of Syria now.” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6ca/rand-paul-606_assad_the-other-thing-i-said-is-the-great-iron_1664725.jpg)
![“There are still people - the majority on the stage, they want to topple [Bashar] Assad. And then there will be chaos, and I think ISIS will then be in charge of Syria.” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f20/rand-paul-606_assad_there-are-still-people-the-majority-on-t_844401.jpg)
![“We have Islamic rebels [in Syria] who've been eating the hearts or organs of their enemies. We have priests that have been killed. We have Christian villages that have been razed by Islamic rebels. We have Islamic rebels who say they don't recognize Israel and would just as soon attack Israel as…” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/962/rand-paul-606_assad_we-have-islamic-rebels-in-syria-who-ve-b_2148203.jpg)
![“I think that by arming the allies of ISIS, the Islamic rebels against [Bashar] Assad, that we created a safe space or made that space bigger for ISIS to grow.” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ed/rand-paul-606_allies_i-think-that-by-arming-the-allies-of-isi_1139127.jpg)
![“If Russia is there [in Syria] alone fighting them [ISIL], guess what? Russia becomes the target and Russia starts seeing - who knows - MANPADs will find their way in there, airplanes will fall out of the sky. They will become vilified. They'll become the new magnet, together with Assad, for the…” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ee2/john-f-kerry-996_airplane_if-russia-is-there-in-syria-alone-fighti_477624.jpg)
![“I'll tell you whose view on [Bashar] Assad is the same as mine. It's Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said Israel doesn't have a dog in that fight because Assad is a puppet of Iran, a Shia radical Islamic terrorist, but at the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu…” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/574/ted-cruz-487_assad_i-ll-tell-you-whose-view-on-bashar-assad_363189.jpg)
![“If we topple [Bashar] Assad, the result will be ISIS will take over Syria, and it will worsen U.S. national security interests.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0c0/ted-cruz-487_assad_if-we-topple-bashar-assad-the-result-wil_328595.jpg)
![“If [Bashar] Assad himself could save this whole process by saying, "I will engage in a managed transition where we all work together to stabilize the government, save the institutions of government, and turn on ISIL and preserve Syria." That could happen. It all depends on one man, and Russia and…” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/999/john-f-kerry-996_assad_if-bashar-assad-himself-could-save-this_309200.jpg)
