Assassination Quote by Robert Baer
“My take on the torture thing and even drones is: If we're going to get into assassination and torture, the second question is the morality, but the first is the effectiveness of it.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast on security, 2020
Effectiveness should be evaluated before moral considerations in violent tactics.
In simple terms: Check how well something works before judging its ethics.
Assess effectiveness first.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- military operations
- counterterrorism
- policy making
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Is a method truly effective if it’s covert?
- Can moral judgment be postponed indefinitely?
Effectiveness can be hard to measure objectively.