--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Barack Obama has done more than anyone…" description: "\"Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the dangerous illusion that we can choose whether to have a war or not. But our enemies have alr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/thomas-sowell-247_barack_barack-obama-has-done-more-than-anyone-e_2849701.jpg" --- # Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the… ![“Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the dangerous illusion that we can choose whether to have a war or not. But our enemies have already made that choice. Retired Marine Corps General James Mattis said: “No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it's over, we…” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/thomas-sowell-247_barack_barack-obama-has-done-more-than-anyone-e_2849701.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/thomas-sowell-247_barack_barack-obama-has-done-more-than-anyone-e_2849701.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/thomas-sowell-247_barack_barack-obama-has-done-more-than-anyone-e_2849701.jpg) > “Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the dangerous illusion that we can choose whether to have a war or not. But our enemies have already made that choice. Retired Marine Corps General James Mattis said: “No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it's over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote“.” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is decided by adversaries, not by public opinion or political rhetoric. **In simple terms:** Conflicts end when the enemy concedes. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of influence over others. Themes politics war perception Mood critical serious Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy analysis - military strategy - public discourse Key Concepts realism power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What evidence shows enemy agency in conflicts? - How can leaders avoid illusion of control? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on rhetoric can ignore ground realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Choose War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-war-1058811/) [Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Enemy Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-says-257953/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [General james mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-james-mattis/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/james-mattis/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Marine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine/) [Marine Corp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine-corp/) [Marine corps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marine-corps/) [Mattis Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattis-said-1536080/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [No war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-war/) [Retired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retired/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Said War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-war-582787/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [ \[General James Mattis\] said, reading allows you to learn from other people's mistakes without filling body bags with the bodies of your soldiers as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-said-reading-allows-you-to-learn-from-other/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ General \[James\] Mattis's primary experience - indeed, his only experience - is as a member of the United States Marine Corps, where he served… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/general-james-mattis-s-primary-experience-indeed-his-only-experience/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [ Since 9/11 we've been engaged in wars around the world, and General \[James\] Mattis has been a leading battlefield commander in many of those… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/since-9-11-we-ve-been-engaged-in-wars-around-the-world-and-general/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [When the Defense Department was established after World War II, a law said that any defense secretary with military experience must have been out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/when-the-defense-department-was-established-after-world-war-ii-a-law/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Michele Flournoy, by the way, is not just a talented and bright person. She was Hillary Clinton's secretary of defense in-waiting. So for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/michele-flournoy-by-the-way-is-not-just-a-talented-and-bright-person/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ Congress can grant a waiver \[for General James Mattis \] and has done that once in history. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/congress-can-grant-a-waiver-for-general-james-mattis-and-has-done/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [General James Mattis is a storied and much-respected military leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-flournoy/general-james-mattis-is-a-storied-and-much-respected-military-leader/) [Michele Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-flournoy/) > [ General \[James\] Mattis has got a really intellectual mindset about how the United States should go about protecting its national security. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-has-got-a-really-intellectual-mindset-about-how/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ \[General James Mattis\] a very talented individual. He's - has a personal library of about 10,000 books and he's read most of them on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-a-very-talented-individual-he-s-has-a-personal/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [The thing that strikes me, from looking at the names so far in the Donald Trump's Cabinet on the foreign policy side, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/the-thing-that-strikes-me-from-looking-at-the-names-so-far-in-the/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [ \[ General James Mattis\] is a Marine's Marine who has served in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-is-a-marine-s-marine-who-has-served-in-combat-in/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [I think this does show that there will be some changes, not so much in Europe or Asia but certainly in the Middle East.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/i-think-this-does-show-that-there-will-be-some-changes-not-so-much-in/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ We've learned something about President-elect \[Donald\] Trump's choice for secretary of defense. Lawmakers in Congress intend to proper debate over whether retired General James… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/we-ve-learned-something-about-president-elect-donald-trump-s-choice/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Brothers and sisters, white people will come in to chastise us. 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I mention the F-35 because if I can save $725 million —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-rebuilding-the-military-we-have-great-people-we-have-tremendous/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Thomas Sowell > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [There is no bigger waste of time than doing 90% of what is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-no-bigger-waste-of-time-than-doing-90-of-what-is-necessary/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-you-have-always-believed-that-everyone-should-play-by-the-same/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“In 1962, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, like both Democratic and Republican Presidents and Secretaries of the Treasury in earlier years, pointed out that “it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-1962-democratic-president-john-f-kennedy-like-both-democratic-and/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Ideological bigotry has become the norm on even our most prestigious campuses, where students can go for years without reading or hearing anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/ideological-bigotry-has-become-the-norm-on-even-our-most-prestigious/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Bailing out people who made ill-advised mortgages makes no more sense that bailing out people who lost their life savings in Las Vegas casinos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/bailing-out-people-who-made-ill-advised-mortgages-makes-no-more-sense/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“One third of all Scots in the mid-nineteenth century moved from one county to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/one-third-of-all-scots-in-the-mid-nineteenth-century-moved-from-one/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The difference is that we have the hardest and most painful evidence that there was a Holocaust. But, for the global warming scenario that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-difference-is-that-we-have-the-hardest-and-most-painful-evidence/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Just as price fluctuations allocate scarce resources which have alternative uses, price controls which limit those fluctuations reduce the incentives for individuals to limit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/just-as-price-fluctuations-allocate-scarce-resources-which-have/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The greatest danger to the liberal vision are facts about the consequences of liberalism itself and the laws, policies, and ways of life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-greatest-danger-to-the-liberal-vision-are-facts-about-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Do all children have some inherent right to live in America if they have done nothing wrong? 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But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We're in more wars today under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than under George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan. Yet they tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-re-in-more-wars-today-under-barack-obama-and-hillary-clinton-than/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I can tell you who's planning terroris attacks. The leaders of ISIL. And I can tell you where they're at. They're in Raqqa, Syria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-tell-you-who-s-planning-terroris-attacks-the-leaders-of-isil/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [ The president \[Barack Obama\] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-commitment-of-i-think-100-000/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [The big story today, Barack Obama was accused of insulting Sarah Palin when he criticized Republican policies by saying, you can put lipstick on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/the-big-story-today-barack-obama-was-accused-of-insulting-sarah-palin/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [ I think the president's \[Barack Obama\] position has been very clear on Syria. 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McWhorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-mcwhorter/) > [Just like Barack Obama, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and now I am a reluctant groom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/just-like-barack-obama-my-views-on-gay-marriage-have-evolved-and-now/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I think President Barack Obama has been an extraordinarily successful president, and that this period will record that with a bunch of exclamation points.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/i-think-president-barack-obama-has-been-an-extraordinarily-successful/) [Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/) > [The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-atherton/the-archives-recall-not-one-single-incriminating-incident-not-one/) [Michael Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-atherton/) > [In public, Barack Obama's giving the simple version of his beliefs for the mass public. In private, he can discuss it at a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/in-public-barack-obama-s-giving-the-simple-version-of-his-beliefs-for/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) [Browse all 1,672 Barack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barack/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Barack Obama has done more than anyone else to promote the dangerous illusion that we can choose whether to have a war or not. But our enemies have already made that choice. Retired Marine Corps General James Mattis said: “No war is over until the enemy says it's over. 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