--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The catch-all phrase \"the war on…" description: "\"The catch-all phrase \"the war on terrorism\", in all honesty, has no more meaning than if one wants to wage a war against \"criminal gangsterism\". Terror..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/ron-paul-686_circumstances_the-catch-all-phrase-the-war-on-terroris_538881.png" --- # The catch-all phrase "the war on terrorism", in all… ![“The catch-all phrase "the war on terrorism", in all honesty, has no more meaning than if one wants to wage a war against "criminal gangsterism". Terrorism is a tactic. You can't have a war against a tactic. It's deliberately vague and non-definable in order to justify and permit perpetual war…” quote by Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/ron-paul-686_circumstances_the-catch-all-phrase-the-war-on-terroris_538881.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/ron-paul-686_circumstances_the-catch-all-phrase-the-war-on-terroris_538881.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/744/ron-paul-686_circumstances_the-catch-all-phrase-the-war-on-terroris_538881.png) > “The catch-all phrase "the war on terrorism", in all honesty, has no more meaning than if one wants to wage a war against "criminal gangsterism". Terrorism is a tactic. You can't have a war against a tactic. It's deliberately vague and non-definable in order to justify and permit perpetual war anywhere and under any circumstance.” [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The phrase “war on terrorism” is meaningless because terrorism is a tactic, not a concrete enemy, allowing endless conflict justification **In simple terms:** Calling a war on a tactic is vague and justifies endless war Key Takeaway Recognize the need for precise definitions before declaring war Themes politics war language policy terrorism Mood critical skeptical Type analytical political When to use this quote - foreign policy debates - legislative hearings - media analysis - public discourse Key Concepts strategic framing semantic ambiguity policy justification Questions to Reflect On - How does vague language affect public support for conflict? - What alternatives exist for addressing tactics like terrorism? A Different Perspective Such framing can oversimplify complex threats and hinder targeted responses ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminals/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Perpetual war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetual-war/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) [Vague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vague/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terror/) [War on terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terrorism/) ## Related quotes > [Terror is a tactic. We can not wage "war" against a tactic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/terror-is-a-tactic-we-can-not-wage-war-against-a-tactic/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“All their lovers' talk began with the phrase "After the war". After the war, when we're married, shall we live in Italy? There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/all-their-lovers-talk-began-with-the-phrase-after-the-war-after-the/) [Louis de Bernières](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [A state that calculates that using a weapon or tactic of war is in its interest will generally find a way to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/a-state-that-calculates-that-using-a-weapon-or-tactic-of-war-is-in/) [Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/) > [Terrorism is the tactic of demanding the impossible, and demanding it at gunpoint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/terrorism-is-the-tactic-of-demanding-the-impossible-and-demanding-it/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Terrorism is a tactic in which the primary objective is to produce fear, rather than direct harm. Terrorist attacks are, first and foremost, psychological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/terrorism-is-a-tactic-in-which-the-primary-objective-is-to-produce/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [ ...he \[Muhammad\] declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind...The precept of the Koran is,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/he-muhammad-declared-undistinguishing-and-exterminating-war-as-a-part/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-the-people-still-believe-that-enduring-security-and-lasting-peace/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [This is a racist and imperialist war. 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A perpetual war between repression and excess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/that-s-catholicism-for-you-a-perpetual-war-between-repression-and/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [So basically America, they are the Knights Templars of, and they've taken us into, perpetual war - that's their game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bez/so-basically-america-they-are-the-knights-templars-of-and-they-ve/) [Bez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bez/) > [I am sorry the infernal Divinities, who visit mankind with diseases, and are therefore at perpetual war with Doctors, should have prevented my seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erasmus-darwin/i-am-sorry-the-infernal-divinities-who-visit-mankind-with-diseases/) [Erasmus Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erasmus-darwin/) ## More by Ron Paul > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. 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They can't create anything, they never have. 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Unemployment is continue to go up. And we have not had the necessary correction for the financial bubble created by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/prices-are-going-up-unemployment-is-continue-to-go-up-and-we-have-not/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Scientifically, there's no debate over whether the fetus is alive and human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/scientifically-there-s-no-debate-over-whether-the-fetus-is-alive-and/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) [Explore all 411 Ron Paul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## More Circumstances quotes > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. 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She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [It's impossible to know who Donald might have been under different circumstances and with different parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/it-s-impossible-to-know-who-donald-might-have-been-under-different/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [When we watch a play under the standard circumstances, we've lost volition and time is passing. A still play feels like an existential threat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/when-we-watch-a-play-under-the-standard-circumstances-we-ve-lost/) [Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/) > [Being positive helps you to keep away negative thoughts. 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You either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-complaining-about-your-circumstances-get-busy-creating-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 4,560 Circumstances quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The catch-all phrase \"the war on terrorism\", in all honesty, has no more meaning than if one wants to wage a war against \"criminal gangsterism\". Terrorism is a tactic. You can't have a war against a tactic. 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