--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a…" description: "\"If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that, at its least is responsible for inhuman carnage and suffering. That is something I am confident ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/tony-blair-812_carnage_if-we-are-wrong-we-will-have-destroyed-a_1115075.jpg" --- # If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that, at… ![“If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that, at its least is responsible for inhuman carnage and suffering. That is something I am confident history will forgive.” quote by Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/tony-blair-812_carnage_if-we-are-wrong-we-will-have-destroyed-a_1115075.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/tony-blair-812_carnage_if-we-are-wrong-we-will-have-destroyed-a_1115075.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/249/tony-blair-812_carnage_if-we-are-wrong-we-will-have-destroyed-a_1115075.jpg) > “If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that, at its least is responsible for inhuman carnage and suffering. That is something I am confident history will forgive.” [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If we are mistaken, we will eliminate a dangerous force responsible for massive suffering, which history will later excuse. **In simple terms:** Mistakes may be forgiven if they remove great harm. Key Takeaway Act to stop harmful threats. Themes responsibility history forgiveness Mood reflective serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - war policy - counterterrorism - humanitarian intervention Key Concepts ethics political decisionmaking Questions to Reflect On - Is the threat truly as severe as claimed? - How do we balance precaution with evidence? A Different Perspective Overestimation of threat can lead to unnecessary violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carnage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carnage/) [Carnage Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carnage-suffering-2990455/) [Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyed/) [Destroyed Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyed-threat-2990454/) [Forgiving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiving/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Forgive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-forgive-324135/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Inhuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inhuman/) [Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsible/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Threat Responsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat-responsible-2010766/) [Wrong Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-destroyed-1245201/) ## Related quotes > [Can we be sure that terrorism and WMD will join together? If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that, at its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/can-we-be-sure-that-terrorism-and-wmd-will-join-together-if-we-are/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [You told me you had destroyed it." "I was wrong. It has destroyed me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/you-told-me-you-had-destroyed-it-i-was-wrong-it-has-destroyed-me/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [There have been the most terrible, shocking events taking place in the United States of America within the last hour or so... I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/there-have-been-the-most-terrible-shocking-events-taking-place-in-the-2/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [If heads of states fail to seize the opportunity of our entry into the third millennium to provide for a better government of planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muller/if-heads-of-states-fail-to-seize-the-opportunity-of-our-entry-into/) [Robert Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muller/) > [You can forgive your leaders for not knowing the intricacies of Islamic history. You cannot forgive them for not knowing their own. 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Because when the history comes, you won't be here! The threat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-somebody-tells-you-history-will-never-forgive-you-just-laugh-at/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“. . . In all parts of our globe, fanatics have cut each other's throats, publicly burnt each other, committed without a scruple and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/in-all-parts-of-our-globe-fanatics-have-cut-each-other-s-throats/) [Baron D'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [“The unvarnished horrors of modern warfare were on everyone's social media feeds now, had been for months, and the truly bleak thing was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-flournoy/the-unvarnished-horrors-of-modern-warfare-were-on-everyone-s-social/) [Angela Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-flournoy/) > [The publisher Jeff Johnson, who has offered not a word of explanation to me, has privately told people that he hated every word that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scheer/the-publisher-jeff-johnson-who-has-offered-not-a-word-of-explanation/) [Robert Scheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scheer/) > [I am struck by how casually we as a nation react to the carnage in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-struck-by-how-casually-we-as-a-nation-react-to-the-carnage-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Tony Blair > [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I have absolutely no doubt at all that we will find evidence of weapons of mass destruction programmes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-have-absolutely-no-doubt-at-all-that-we-will-find-evidence-of/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I mean, you can agree or disagree with Iraq or Afghanistan, but by the way, now the great campaigning cause out there is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-mean-you-can-agree-or-disagree-with-iraq-or-afghanistan-but-by-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [My dad was a militant atheist, or is a militant atheist. 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Because though the numbers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/how-do-we-deal-with-not-just-the-acts-of-violence-but-the-extremist/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [The public think the politicians don't know or care about their lives; and the politicians feel misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-public-think-the-politicians-don-t-know-or-care-about-their-lives/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I think it's important for people like me to evaluate and reevaluate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-think-it-s-important-for-people-like-me-to-evaluate-and-reevaluate/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) [Explore all 363 Tony Blair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) ## More Carnage quotes > [I am struck by how casually we as a nation react to the carnage in Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-struck-by-how-casually-we-as-a-nation-react-to-the-carnage-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The publisher Jeff Johnson, who has offered not a word of explanation to me, has privately told people that he hated every word that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-scheer/the-publisher-jeff-johnson-who-has-offered-not-a-word-of-explanation/) [Robert Scheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-scheer/) > [Can we be sure that terrorism and WMD will join together? If we are wrong, we will have destroyed a threat that, at its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/can-we-be-sure-that-terrorism-and-wmd-will-join-together-if-we-are/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“The unvarnished horrors of modern warfare were on everyone's social media feeds now, had been for months, and the truly bleak thing was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-flournoy/the-unvarnished-horrors-of-modern-warfare-were-on-everyone-s-social/) [Angela Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-flournoy/) > [“. . . In all parts of our globe, fanatics have cut each other's throats, publicly burnt each other, committed without a scruple and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/in-all-parts-of-our-globe-fanatics-have-cut-each-other-s-throats/) [Baron D'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [We, women of one country, Will be too tender of those of another country To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ward-howe/we-women-of-one-country-will-be-too-tender-of-those-of-another/) [Julia Ward Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ward-howe/) > [“The carnival of carnage that takes place every day, month and year in the realm of industry; the thousands of useful lives that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-douglas-wilson/the-carnival-of-carnage-that-takes-place-every-day-month-and-year-in/) [D. Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-douglas-wilson/) > [William strode to her. That’s how it’s done. Drink it in. She surveyed the carnage behind him. “Did you have fun?” He showed her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/william-strode-to-her-that-s-how-it-s-done-drink-it-in-she-surveyed/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [Men fed upon carnage, and drinking strong drinks, have all an impoisoned and acrid blood which drives them mad in a hundred different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/men-fed-upon-carnage-and-drinking-strong-drinks-have-all-an/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [There have been the most terrible, shocking events taking place in the United States of America within the last couple of hours… We can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/there-have-been-the-most-terrible-shocking-events-taking-place-in-the/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“I’ll see you there,” Taylor said, and Richardson nodded. Good humor was gone. 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