Army Quote by Robert E. Lee
“Why, it appears that we appointed all of our worst generals to command the armies and we appointed all of our best generals to edit the newspapers. I mean, I found by reading a newspaper that these editor generals saw all of the defects plainly from the start but didn't tell me until it was too late. I'm willing to yield my place to these best generals and I'll do my best for the cause by editing a newspaper.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Confederate Veterans Reunion, 1884
Best leaders are often journalists, while generals are poor at war.
In simple terms: Good editors, bad generals.
Key Takeaway
Value editorial insight.
Themes
leadership
media
military
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- political analysis
- newsrooms
- military planning
Key Concepts
strategic communication
information bias
Questions to Reflect On
- Who should decide strategy?
- How to balance media and command?
A Different Perspective
Not all editors lack battlefield skill.
![“We all know why [the generals] are so critical of the defense secretary. They're being defensive because they weren't able to implement his brilliant plan [on screen: Operation 'Greet Us As Liberators']. It was so simple: Go in with 100,000 troops, topple the regime, everybody loves us, and we…” quote by Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/787/stephen-colbert-503_able_we-all-know-why-the-generals-are-so-crit_2812898.jpg)
![“I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect [Donald Trump], or then-president [Barack Obama]. But it's - I'm very clear. I voted for the change that put the Army Field Manual in place as a member of Congress. I understand that law very, very quickly and am also deeply aware…” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/761/james-mattis-9515_army_i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-th_3990.jpg)
