--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The conclusion that many uniformed…" description: "\"The conclusion that many uniformed military came away from Vietnam with was that political interference, dominance of strategy and even tactics were a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg" --- # The conclusion that many uniformed military came away from… ![“The conclusion that many uniformed military came away from Vietnam with was that political interference, dominance of strategy and even tactics were a very bad way to conduct a war, and that indeed, if that was going to be our practice, that we shouldn't wage conflict again.” quote by Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg) > “The conclusion that many uniformed military came away from Vietnam with was that political interference, dominance of strategy and even tactics were a very bad way to conduct a war, and that indeed, if that was going to be our practice, that we shouldn't wage conflict again.” [Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Veterans concluded that political meddling and over‑strategizing ruined the war, suggesting future conflicts should be avoided. **In simple terms:** Political interference made the war a failure; avoid future wars. Key Takeaway Limit political control over military strategy. Themes war politics strategy military lesson learned Mood cautious reflective critical Type analytical historical When to use this quote - defense planning - policy making - military education - government oversight Key Concepts civil‑military relations strategic autonomy policy failure Questions to Reflect On - How can civilian leaders better inform military plans? - What checks prevent over‑strategy? A Different Perspective Political goals can override tactical realities, leading to failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [Wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wage/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The U.S. directed the war against South Vietnam. There was a political settlement in 1954. But in the late '50's the United States organized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-u-s-directed-the-war-against-south-vietnam-there-was-a-political/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [In Vietnam we have no political prisoners. No one is arrested or jailed for his or her speech or point of view. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-vietnam-we-have-no-political-prisoners-no-one-is-arrested-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Individual rights always go along with the interests of the society. I want to add that in Vietnam we have no political prisoners. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/individual-rights-always-go-along-with-the-interests-of-the-society-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The judiciary must be strengthened and released from political interference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/the-judiciary-must-be-strengthened-and-released-from-political/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [I grew up in the Justice Department. I served 12 years as a line lawyer in the public integrity section. This department under me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-grew-up-in-the-justice-department-i-served-12-years-as-a-line/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Comey really spent an enormous amount of energy in the period in which both he and Trump were in office trying to protect the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-wittes/comey-really-spent-an-enormous-amount-of-energy-in-the-period-in/) [Benjamin Wittes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-wittes/) > [“As the state spreads it tentacles into every corner of life in the name of regulation, rationalization or economic development, people who wanted their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherian-george/as-the-state-spreads-it-tentacles-into-every-corner-of-life-in-the/) [Cherian George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherian-george/) > [“Those who are to conduct a war cannot in the nature of things, be proper or safe judges, whether a war ought to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/those-who-are-to-conduct-a-war-cannot-in-the-nature-of-things-be/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [The conduct of war was so much more interesting than its prevention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/the-conduct-of-war-was-so-much-more-interesting-than-its-prevention/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [We are in a war on terrorism. We need to conduct that war and take it to the terrorists, not here at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-l-thomas/we-are-in-a-war-on-terrorism-we-need-to-conduct-that-war-and-take-it/) [Craig L. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-l-thomas/) > [It seems to me an utterly futile task to prescribe rules and limitations for the conduct of war. War is not a game; hence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/it-seems-to-me-an-utterly-futile-task-to-prescribe-rules-and/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There are three basic routes to escalation inherent in the conduct of war: one or both sides deliberately escalate to win, one or both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mearsheimer/there-are-three-basic-routes-to-escalation-inherent-in-the-conduct-of/) [John Mearsheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mearsheimer/) > [If we clear the air of the fog of catchwords which surround the conduct of war, and grasp that in the human will lies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/if-we-clear-the-air-of-the-fog-of-catchwords-which-surround-the/) [B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/) > [I will never conduct a war or start a war because we want to; the United States of America should only go to war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-will-never-conduct-a-war-or-start-a-war-because-we-want-to-the/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Those who are to conduct a war cannot in the nature of things, be proper or safe judges, whether a war ought to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/those-who-are-to-conduct-a-war-cannot-in-the-nature-of-things-be-2/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## More by Robert McFarlane > [President Reagan was concerned - deeply concerned, emotionally concerned - with the loss of life of any American, but especially with the lives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/president-reagan-was-concerned-deeply-concerned-emotionally-concerned/) [Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) > [“That night, though, far out into the North Atlantic, there were no lights to be seen, for there was no shipping. The deep-water lanes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/that-night-though-far-out-into-the-north-atlantic-there-were-no/) [Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) > [Bear in mind North Korea has been the leading source, a leading source of nuclear technology and of missile delivery systems to some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/bear-in-mind-north-korea-has-been-the-leading-source-a-leading-source/) [Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) > [In 1985, the Iranian sponsorship of terrorism was clear, solid evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/in-1985-the-iranian-sponsorship-of-terrorism-was-clear-solid-evidence/) [Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) > [There are different kinds of terrorist movements, and specifically you occasionally face a bully, a Qaddafi. But a bully is different from a zealot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/there-are-different-kinds-of-terrorist-movements-and-specifically-you/) [Robert McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) [Explore all 6 Robert McFarlane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/) ## More Again quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. Sebald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-g-sebald/) > [I say this about everything: when I was on 'Neighbours,' I said, 'These are the best years of my life!' When I was filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-say-this-about-everything-when-i-was-on-neighbours-i-said-these-are/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [I don't know about writing. It's quite lonely. You have to have a lot of patience with yourself. I don't know if I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-wilson/i-don-t-know-about-writing-it-s-quite-lonely-you-have-to-have-a-lot/) [Ruth Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-wilson/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [In theater, one of the biggest problems when you're rehearsing comedy over and over again is that you stop laughing at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/in-theater-one-of-the-biggest-problems-when-you-re-rehearsing-comedy/) [Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/) > [I'd like to do some female roles again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-d-like-to-do-some-female-roles-again/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Well, a lot of our concerts do okay, and I know we still get royalty checks which still isn't that important, but again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-johnston/well-a-lot-of-our-concerts-do-okay-and-i-know-we-still-get-royalty/) [Bruce Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-johnston/) > [Oh wow, you know what's wrong with all these families on TV? All these kids say stuff no kid would say. Stuff grown-ups want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/oh-wow-you-know-what-s-wrong-with-all-these-families-on-tv-all-these/) [Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/) > [We must resist the temptation of once again turning America into the traditional bogeyman of the left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-napolitano/we-must-resist-the-temptation-of-once-again-turning-america-into-the/) [Giorgio Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-napolitano/) > [We won the Europa League in 2013 and it was an amazing night, an amazing feeling. I take those memories and think to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cahill/we-won-the-europa-league-in-2013-and-it-was-an-amazing-night-an/) [Gary Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cahill/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) Browse all 2,975 Again quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The conclusion that many uniformed military came away from Vietnam with was that political interference, dominance of strategy and even tactics were a very bad way to conduct a war, and that indeed, if that was going to be our practice, that we shouldn't wage conflict again.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert McFarlane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-military-came-away-from-vietnam/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Again" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-military-came-away-from-vietnam/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2f/robert-mcfarlane-54270_again_the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-milit_3140213.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The conclusion that many uniformed military came away from Vietnam with was that political interference…” — Robert McFarlane", "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 McFarlane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcfarlane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The conclusion that many uniformed military...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-military-came-away-from-vietnam/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcfarlane/the-conclusion-that-many-uniformed-military-came-away-from-vietnam/#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 } } ] } ```