---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you have war, whether it's a war…"
description: "\"When you have war, whether it's a war against drugs, war against terrorism, war overseas, the mentality of the people change and they're more willing t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png"
---

#  When you have war, whether it's a war against drugs, war…

![“When you have war, whether it's a war against drugs, war against terrorism, war overseas, the mentality of the people change and they're more willing to sacrifice their liberties in order to be safe and secure.” quote by Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png)

> “When you have war, whether it's a war against drugs, war against terrorism, war overseas, the mentality of the people change and they're more willing to sacrifice their liberties in order to be safe and secure.”

[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.

War prompts people to trade freedom for perceived safety, altering societal mindset.

**In simple terms:** People sacrifice liberty for security.

Key Takeaway

Question security vs. freedom.

Themes

politics freedom security

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

political reflective

When to use this quote

- public policy
- national security
- civil liberties
- public health

Key Concepts

social contract risk tolerance

Questions to Reflect On

- What freedoms are you willing to give up?
- How does fear shape policy?

A Different Perspective

Security can be used to justify excessive control.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Mentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentality/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-change/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrifice Liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice-liberties-1789867/) [Safe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safe/) [Secure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secure/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) [Terrorism War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism-war-401791/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-drugs/) [War on drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-drugs/) [War Overseas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-overseas-1789868/) [War Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-terrorism/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/)

## Related quotes

> [Just as Hitler used the Reichstag burning, the U.S. government now uses the so-called two wars, the War on Drugs and the War on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-metzner/just-as-hitler-used-the-reichstag-burning-the-u-s-government-now-uses/)

[Ralph Metzner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-metzner/)

> [The federal war on drugs is a total failure... The federal government's going in there and overriding state laws... Why don't we handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-federal-war-on-drugs-is-a-total-failure-the-federal-government-s/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [War in me, war overseas, there ain't no difference between.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/live-band/war-in-me-war-overseas-there-ain-t-no-difference-between/)

[Live (Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/live-band/)

> [ \[H\]owever weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/h-owever-weak-our-country-may-be-i-hope-we-shall-never-sacrifice-our/)

[Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/)

> [Since war itself is the most extreme form of terrorism, a war on terrorism is profoundly self-contradictory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/since-war-itself-is-the-most-extreme-form-of-terrorism-a-war-on/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [I'm for fighting a war on terrorism, not a war in Southwest Asia that Alexander the Great couldn't win, the British Empire couldn't win,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-schrader/i-m-for-fighting-a-war-on-terrorism-not-a-war-in-southwest-asia-that/)

[Kurt Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-schrader/)

> [It's a nonsense assumption that you can get rid of terrorism with war. Terrorism is taking the lives of innocent people to gain your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-sharp/it-s-a-nonsense-assumption-that-you-can-get-rid-of-terrorism-with-war/)

[Gene Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-sharp/)

> [I've made it clear, Madam President, that the war against terrorism is not a war against Muslims, nor is it a war against Arabs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-ve-made-it-clear-madam-president-that-the-war-against-terrorism-is/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [Wanton killing of innocent civilians is terrorism, not a war against terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/wanton-killing-of-innocent-civilians-is-terrorism-not-a-war-against/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The war against terrorism is a war against those who engage in torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-markey/the-war-against-terrorism-is-a-war-against-those-who-engage-in-torture/)

[Ed Markey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-markey/)

> [War is a lie. War is a racket. War is hell. War is waste. War is a crime. War is terrorism. War is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleen-rowley/war-is-a-lie-war-is-a-racket-war-is-hell-war-is-waste-war-is-a-crime/)

[Coleen Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleen-rowley/)

> [Beyond the futility of armed force, and ultimately more important, is the fact that war in our time inevitably results in the indiscriminate killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/beyond-the-futility-of-armed-force-and-ultimately-more-important-is/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [It is time we admitted that we are not at war with “terrorism.” We are at war with Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/it-is-time-we-admitted-that-we-are-not-at-war-with-terrorism-we-are/)

[Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/)

> [How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/how-can-you-have-a-war-on-terrorism-when-war-itself-is-terrorism/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/terrorism-is-the-war-of-the-poor-and-war-is-the-terrorism-of-the-rich/)

[Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/)

## More by Ron Paul

> [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [I'm an imperfect messenger, but the message is perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-m-an-imperfect-messenger-but-the-message-is-perfect/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/history-has-shown-that-the-masses-have-been-quite-receptive-to-the/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [The reality is that our military presence on foreign soil is as offensive to the people that live there as armed Chinese troops would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-reality-is-that-our-military-presence-on-foreign-soil-is-as/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Right now, nobody legalized paper money. Where did that come from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/right-now-nobody-legalized-paper-money-where-did-that-come-from/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/real-patriotism-is-a-willingness-to-challenge-the-government-when-it/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Expect the rapidly expanding homeschooling movement to play a significant role in the revolutionary reforms needed to build a free society with Constitutional protections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/expect-the-rapidly-expanding-homeschooling-movement-to-play-a/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [“Intellectually and compassionately explaining the reason freedom works is required for credibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/intellectually-and-compassionately-explaining-the-reason-freedom/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Governments have nothing. They can't create anything, they never have. All they can do is steal from one group and give it to another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/governments-have-nothing-they-can-t-create-anything-they-never-have/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Why is it is claimed that if people won't or can't take care of their own needs, that people in government can do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/why-is-it-is-claimed-that-if-people-won-t-or-can-t-take-care-of-their/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [It is dissent from government policies which defines the true Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/it-is-dissent-from-government-policies-which-defines-the-true-patriot/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [The moral and constitutional obligations of our representatives in Washington are to protect our liberty, not coddle the world, precipitating no-win wars, while bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-moral-and-constitutional-obligations-of-our-representatives-in/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [I will veto any spending bill that contains funding for Planned Parenthood, facilities that perform abortion and all government family planning schemes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-will-veto-any-spending-bill-that-contains-funding-for-planned/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Prices are going up. 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 Drug quotes

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/)

[David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/)

> [The only way to make sure that the Hand didn't get to you would have been to kill your brother. I could've done it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/the-only-way-to-make-sure-that-the-hand-didn-t-get-to-you-would-have/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

[Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/)

> [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [The miracle drugs (neuroleptics) cause the worst plague of brain damage in medical history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/the-miracle-drugs-neuroleptics-cause-the-worst-plague-of-brain-damage/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [I've always considered making it legal for Americans to import their prescription drugs a free-trade issue. Imports create competition and keep domestic industry more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-grassley/i-ve-always-considered-making-it-legal-for-americans-to-import-their/)

[Chuck Grassley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-grassley/)

> [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. Number one, Prozac gives you a royal soft-on like you wouldn't believe, and number two you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-evans/antidepressants-are-the-biggest-fraud-in-the-world-number-one-prozac/)

[Robert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-evans/)

> [That surely must be a concern to anyone who decides this drug must be given to stop transmissions, again from mother to child, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/that-surely-must-be-a-concern-to-anyone-who-decides-this-drug-must-be/)

[Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/)

> [Who’s to say that it takes something like a drug to mess with your perception of reality? How did Hitler deceive a nation? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/who-s-to-say-that-it-takes-something-like-a-drug-to-mess-with-your/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [You find out so many interesting things when you're not on drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/you-find-out-so-many-interesting-things-when-you-re-not-on-drugs/)

[Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/)

[Browse all 3,904 Drug quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When you have war, whether it's a war against drugs, war against terrorism, war overseas, the mentality of the people change and they're more willing to sacrifice their liberties in order to be safe and secure.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ron Paul"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-against-drugs-war-against/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Drug"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-against-drugs-war-against/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/711/ron-paul-686_drug_when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-aga_1772177.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you have war, whether it's a war against drugs, war against terrorism, war overseas, the mentality of…” — Ron Paul",
                "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": "Ron Paul",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When you have war, whether it's...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-against-drugs-war-against/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/when-you-have-war-whether-it-s-a-war-against-drugs-war-against/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
