--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the whole policy of pre-emptive…" description: "\"I think the whole policy of pre-emptive war is a serious, serious mistake.\" — Walter Cronkite" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png" --- # I think the whole policy of pre-emptive war is a serious… ![“I think the whole policy of pre-emptive war is a serious, serious mistake.” quote by Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png) > “I think the whole policy of pre-emptive war is a serious, serious mistake.” [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pre‑emptive war is a grave error, risking unnecessary conflict and moral failure. **In simple terms:** Starting wars before threats appear is dangerous. Key Takeaway Question the justification for initiating conflict. Themes war ethics policy pre‑emptive action mistake Mood cautionary critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - military planning - public discourse - diplomacy Key Concepts international law moral responsibility strategic error Questions to Reflect On - When is a pre‑emptive strike justified? - What alternatives exist to avoid war? A Different Perspective The statement may ignore cases where pre‑emptive action prevents larger harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [If things do get better in Iraq, I'm saying as someone who thinks the war was a mistake. I'm saying that is cause for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/if-things-do-get-better-in-iraq-i-m-saying-as-someone-who-thinks-the/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [Archduke Franz Ferdinand Found Alive! First World War a Mistake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-milligan/archduke-franz-ferdinand-found-alive-first-world-war-a-mistake/) [Spike Milligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-milligan/) > [I think that policy matters. I'm a policy guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/i-think-that-policy-matters-i-m-a-policy-guy/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [I think the policy makers like the idea of being the boss. I mean people who like to boss other people around like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-think-the-policy-makers-like-the-idea-of-being-the-boss-i-mean/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I think a policy of isolationism toward Cuba is misplaced and hasn't worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-a-policy-of-isolationism-toward-cuba-is-misplaced-and-hasn-t/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I don't think of myself as a policy expert. I think education is the most important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bush/i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-policy-expert-i-think-education-is-the/) [Jenna Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bush/) > [I think where policy fails cinema can help to bring people together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimouna-doucoure/i-think-where-policy-fails-cinema-can-help-to-bring-people-together/) [Maimouna Doucoure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimouna-doucoure/) > [Reading Orwell's 'Road to Wigan Pier'. I think every policy person should read it. Prescient, gnarly, ugly, and moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-pill/reading-orwell-s-road-to-wigan-pier-i-think-every-policy-person/) [Alison Pill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-pill/) > [We should be worried about protecting the homeland. I think that policy is changing, should change and will change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/we-should-be-worried-about-protecting-the-homeland-i-think-that/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [It is clear that military force and our policy of preemption are alone insufficient to make us safe. But help is on the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-clear-that-military-force-and-our-policy-of-preemption-are/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The problem is some of the populism on both the far left and the far right, it can make a Tweet but not make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-problem-is-some-of-the-populism-on-both-the-far-left-and-the-far/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I've developed several serious policy proposals to create jobs, reform Washington and reduce spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-fischer/i-ve-developed-several-serious-policy-proposals-to-create-jobs-reform/) Deb Fischer > [A nation with a goofy foreign policy needs a very serious policy of defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/a-nation-with-a-goofy-foreign-policy-needs-a-very-serious-policy-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [No individual and no generation has had enough personal experience to ignore the vast experience of the human race that is called history. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/no-individual-and-no-generation-has-had-enough-personal-experience-to/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I believe it is a mistake to isolate arms control from other areas of policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/i-believe-it-is-a-mistake-to-isolate-arms-control-from-other-areas-of/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## More by Walter Cronkite > [I'm a liberal, but I'm not biased. Seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-m-a-liberal-but-i-m-not-biased-seriously/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I've gone from the most trusted man in America to one of the most debated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-ve-gone-from-the-most-trusted-man-in-america-to-one-of-the-most/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I do think that the success, although still not complete... in the recognition of equal rights... to all Americans, regardless of color, creed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-do-think-that-the-success-although-still-not-complete-in-the/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [Be kind to an old man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/be-kind-to-an-old-man/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I learned early on that in the real world, the masks of tragedy and comedy adorn the proscenium of every life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-learned-early-on-that-in-the-real-world-the-masks-of-tragedy-and/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [It is clear that military force and our policy of preemption are alone insufficient to make us safe. But help is on the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/it-is-clear-that-military-force-and-our-policy-of-preemption-are/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [In all my years as a news commentator I was never once, able to tell the truth, about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/in-all-my-years-as-a-news-commentator-i-was-never-once-able-to-tell/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I think people make way too much of ratings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-people-make-way-too-much-of-ratings/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I grew my mustache when I was nineteen in order to look older. I never shaved it off even though it overran its usefulness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-grew-my-mustache-when-i-was-nineteen-in-order-to-look-older-i-never/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [I'm so tired of stories starting, 'Maud Jones was walking her dog down Broadway.' You've got to go over to the back page somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-m-so-tired-of-stories-starting-maud-jones-was-walking-her-dog-down/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [All through my life, I have never disguised my sentiments about politics in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/all-through-my-life-i-have-never-disguised-my-sentiments-about/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The battle for the airwaves cannot be limited to only those who have the bank accounts to pay for the battle and win it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-battle-for-the-airwaves-cannot-be-limited-to-only-those-who-have/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The successful landing on the moon, very probably, is the best story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-successful-landing-on-the-moon-very-probably-is-the-best-story/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [If, as they say, the threat of the hangman's noose has a powerful way of focusing one's attention, the same can be said of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/if-as-they-say-the-threat-of-the-hangman-s-noose-has-a-powerful-way/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [We must strengthen the United Nations as a first step toward a World Government, patterned after our Own Government with a legislature, executive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/we-must-strengthen-the-united-nations-as-a-first-step-toward-a-world/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) [Explore all 210 Walter Cronkite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the whole policy of pre-emptive war is a serious, serious mistake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Walter Cronkite" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive-war-is-a-serious-serious/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive-war-is-a-serious-serious/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/walter-cronkite-1759_failure_i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive_373575.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the whole policy of pre-emptive war is a serious, serious mistake.” — Walter Cronkite", "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": "Walter Cronkite", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the whole policy of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive-war-is-a-serious-serious/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/i-think-the-whole-policy-of-pre-emptive-war-is-a-serious-serious/#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 } } ] } ```