Day Quote by Seymour Hersh
“The day after 9/11, we should have gone to Russia. We did the one thing that George Kennan warned us never to do - to expand NATO too far.”
About This Quote
Source Opinion piece, "NATO Expansion and the Aftermath of 9/11" by Seymour Hersh, 2002
Expanding NATO after 9/11 ignored historical warnings and may have increased geopolitical tension.
In simple terms: NATO growth after 9/11 risked stability.
Key Takeaway
Consider long‑term strategic consequences before alliances.
Themes
geopolitics
history
policy
security
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
policy
strategic
When to use this quote
- government advisory
- academic debate
- media commentary
- public protest
- diplomatic negotiations
Key Concepts
realism
deterrence
foreign policy
Questions to Reflect On
- Did NATO expansion prevent conflict?
- What alternatives existed post‑9/11?
A Different Perspective
Some argue expansion deterred aggression.
![“With all this talk about the supposed strain in relations [with the Soviet Union], there is an inference that somehow it is our fault. But we didn't kill Russian civilians by shooting down a civilian airplane. We didn't attempt to conquer an adjacent country to ours. We didn't walk out on…” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ac/ronald-reagan-119_airplane_with-all-this-talk-about-the-supposed-st_2183576.jpg)
![“In light of 50 years of bondage of Eastern Europe, [invading the Soviet Union in 1948 to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons] was probably a reasonable thing to do.” quote by Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fda/condoleezza-rice-807_bondage_in-light-of-50-years-of-bondage-of-easte_3104872.jpg)
