--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In U.S. history, war has served as an…" description: "\"In U.S. history, war has served as an important diversionary tactic, causing the people at large to shift their attention away from the state's own cri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg" --- # In U.S. history, war has served as an important… ![“In U.S. history, war has served as an important diversionary tactic, causing the people at large to shift their attention away from the state's own criminality and toward real or fictitious devils abroad. Wars have therefore proved to be extremely useful in propping up the political class and…” quote by Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg) > “In U.S. history, war has served as an important diversionary tactic, causing the people at large to shift their attention away from the state's own criminality and toward real or fictitious devils abroad. Wars have therefore proved to be extremely useful in propping up the political class and preserving it from the public resistance and rebellion that might otherwise have arisen.” [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War distracts populations from domestic issues, allowing elites to maintain power and avoid dissent. **In simple terms:** War diverts public focus, protecting elites. Key Takeaway Recognize diversionary tactics in politics. Themes politics power war media public opinion Mood critical analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - election cycles - media coverage - public protests - policy debates Key Concepts diversionary tactics elite control state legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - How do leaders use conflict to shift public attention? - What alternatives exist to address state misconduct without war? A Different Perspective War may also create unintended social trauma and economic costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abroad Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abroad-wars-4607820/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Criminality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminality/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [History War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-war-505470/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Rebellion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebellion/) [Resistance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resistance/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Served](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-served-505237/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) [Wars Proved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars-proved-4607819/) ## Related quotes > [This is the true lesson of our history: war, preparation for war, and foreign military interventions have served for the most part not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/this-is-the-true-lesson-of-our-history-war-preparation-for-war-and/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [After the war, in which I served as a pilot in the Air Force, I took up films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivor-novello/after-the-war-in-which-i-served-as-a-pilot-in-the-air-force-i-took-up/) [Ivor Novello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivor-novello/) > [In my generation, thankfully, as somebody who served in the Afghanistan War, would have served in the Iraq War, if called to do so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/in-my-generation-thankfully-as-somebody-who-served-in-the-afghanistan/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [What can I say about the First World War, a war in which I served as an infantryman, a war I hated at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grosz/what-can-i-say-about-the-first-world-war-a-war-in-which-i-served-as/) [George Grosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-grosz/) > [Wisdom born of experience should tell us that war is obsolete. There may have been a time when war served as a negative good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/wisdom-born-of-experience-should-tell-us-that-war-is-obsolete-there/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [For most of history, war has been a more or less functional institution, providing benefits for those societies that were good at it, although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwynne-dyer/for-most-of-history-war-has-been-a-more-or-less-functional/) [Gwynne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwynne-dyer/) > [The roughest thing was learning the realities of the world at such a young age. I was 10 or 11, going to church, hearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rodriguez/the-roughest-thing-was-learning-the-realities-of-the-world-at-such-a/) [Michelle Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rodriguez/) > [The history of mankind is a history of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-love/the-history-of-mankind-is-a-history-of-war/) [Mike Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-love/) > [What is love??? In math a problem, In history a war, In chemistry a reaction, And in drawing a heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laine/what-is-love-in-math-a-problem-in-history-a-war-in-chemistry-a/) [Laine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laine/) > [War has been with us ever since the dawn of civilization. Nothing has been more constant in history than war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aumann/war-has-been-with-us-ever-since-the-dawn-of-civilization-nothing-has/) [Robert Aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aumann/) > [With all of the history of war, and the human race's history unfortunately has been a good deal more war than peace, with nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/with-all-of-the-history-of-war-and-the-human-race-s-history/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Except for the people who were there that one day they discovered the polio vaccine, being part of history is rarely a good idea.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/except-for-the-people-who-were-there-that-one-day-they-discovered-the/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [Ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. That was the whole idea, right? That‘s why we went. I am reluctant to let that fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ridding-iraq-of-weapons-of-mass-destruction-that-was-the-whole-idea/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [This is the first time in history that a war has involved the whole world, and also it may last many years more; this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/this-is-the-first-time-in-history-that-a-war-has-involved-the-whole/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [History and war are cruel pedants. Those who know too little of the former are likely to have too much of the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/history-and-war-are-cruel-pedants-those-who-know-too-little-of-the/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) ## More by Robert Higgs > [Recipients of transfers set a bad example for others, including their children, other relatives, and friends, who see that one can receive goods, services,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/recipients-of-transfers-set-a-bad-example-for-others-including-their/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [In debates between anarchists and statists, the burden of proof clearly should rest on those who place their trust in the state. Anarchy's mayhem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/in-debates-between-anarchists-and-statists-the-burden-of-proof/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [“Anarchists did not try to carry out genocide against the Armenians in Turkey; they did not deliberately starve millions of Ukrainians; they did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/anarchists-did-not-try-to-carry-out-genocide-against-the-armenians-in/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [We need to have a modicum of faith in people's common sense, creativity and will to survive and prosper even in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/we-need-to-have-a-modicum-of-faith-in-people-s-common-sense/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [To continue on the road we Americans have traveled for the past century is ultimately to deliver ourselves completely into the hands of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/to-continue-on-the-road-we-americans-have-traveled-for-the-past/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [Inflation is not a benign element in the economy's operation. It is, as it has always been, the most dangerous and destructive form of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/inflation-is-not-a-benign-element-in-the-economy-s-operation-it-is-as/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [Until the 1930s, the Constitution served as a major constraint on federal economic interventionism. The government's powers were understood to be just as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/until-the-1930s-the-constitution-served-as-a-major-constraint-on/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [No doubt, anarchy, once established, might not last forever. But if your house is on fire, the sensible course of action is to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/no-doubt-anarchy-once-established-might-not-last-forever-but-if-your/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [By adopting programs to distribute substantial amounts of income, a nation guarantees that its government will become more powerful and invasive in other ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/by-adopting-programs-to-distribute-substantial-amounts-of-income-a/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [All nonstate threats to life, liberty, and property appear to be relatively petty and therefore can be dealt with. Only states can pose truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/all-nonstate-threats-to-life-liberty-and-property-appear-to-be/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [This is the true lesson of our history: war, preparation for war, and foreign military interventions have served for the most part not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/this-is-the-true-lesson-of-our-history-war-preparation-for-war-and/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [Liberty in the United States will never be reestablished so long as elites and masses alike look to the president to perform supernatural feats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/liberty-in-the-united-states-will-never-be-reestablished-so-long-as/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [The beginning of political wisdom is the realization that despite everything you’ve always been taught, the government is not really on your side; indeed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/the-beginning-of-political-wisdom-is-the-realization-that-despite/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [“When the contentious questions are mainly economic (put aside such inflammatory but mainly noneconomic matters as capital punishment or abortion) they tend to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/when-the-contentious-questions-are-mainly-economic-put-aside-such/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [For members of the political class, the crucial question is always: how can we push out the frontier, how can we augment the government's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/for-members-of-the-political-class-the-crucial-question-is-always-how/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) [Explore all 54 Robert Higgs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In U.S. history, war has served as an important diversionary tactic, causing the people at large to shift their attention away from the state's own criminality and toward real or fictitious devils abroad. Wars have therefore proved to be extremely useful in propping up the political class and preserving it from the public resistance and rebellion that might otherwise have arisen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Higgs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-important-diversionary-tactic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-important-diversionary-tactic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/robert-higgs-12637_attention_in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-impo_2164663.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In U.S. history, war has served as an important diversionary tactic, causing the people at large to shift…” — Robert Higgs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Robert Higgs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In U.S. history, war has served...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-important-diversionary-tactic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/in-u-s-history-war-has-served-as-an-important-diversionary-tactic/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```