--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the way things have been left…" description: "\"I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so they have to know that lessons have been le..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg" --- # I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that… ![“I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so they have to know that lessons have been learnt and that all political parties and people, whether they were for or against the invasion of Iraq, have learnt lessons.” quote by William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg) > “I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so they have to know that lessons have been learnt and that all political parties and people, whether they were for or against the invasion of Iraq, have learnt lessons.” [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Post‑war skepticism demands that all parties acknowledge and learn from past mistakes to restore public trust. **In simple terms:** People doubt government after war; need lessons learned. Key Takeaway Promote transparency and accountability after conflict. Themes politics trust accountability Mood cautious serious Type political analytical When to use this quote - government reforms - public communication - education programs - media analysis Key Concepts public memory policy learning Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure lessons are truly learned? - What mechanisms rebuild trust after failure? A Different Perspective Admitting fault can be politically costly and may not fully rebuild trust. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Invasion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invasion/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political parties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-parties/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When I left Iraq for the last time in 2008, it was the first time I left the country better off than when I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-moulton/when-i-left-iraq-for-the-last-time-in-2008-it-was-the-first-time-i/) [Seth Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-moulton/) > [ I didn't start publishing literary texts until I had left Iraq. At the Academy \[of Cinematic Arts\] I was busy with short films. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-blasim/i-didn-t-start-publishing-literary-texts-until-i-had-left-iraq-at-the/) [Hassan Blasim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-blasim/) > [You know, if you didn't pay close attention, you'd think we were the only people in Iraq and the only people fighting the terrorists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-isakson/you-know-if-you-didn-t-pay-close-attention-you-d-think-we-were-the/) [Johnny Isakson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-isakson/) > [So you have in Iraq some people falling prey to the system, some people managing to negotiate independence, and other people becoming outlaws, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/so-you-have-in-iraq-some-people-falling-prey-to-the-system-some/) [Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/) > [These others -- the overwhelming majority of Iraq's people -- have repeatedly given every indication of valuing their newfound freedom: voting in two elections…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fouad-ajami/these-others-the-overwhelming-majority-of-iraq-s-people-have/) Fouad Ajami > [The Iraqis have a country that inherited cultures thousands of years old while the Americans have a culture only two hundred years old. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/the-iraqis-have-a-country-that-inherited-cultures-thousands-of-years/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I still agree with the invasion of Iraq. I don't agree with most of the decisions that accompanied it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-still-agree-with-the-invasion-of-iraq-i-don-t-agree-with-most-of/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [You can't believe the government - on anything. And you especially can't believe them when they're talking about important stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-webb/you-can-t-believe-the-government-on-anything-and-you-especially-can-t/) [Gary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-webb/) > [“I believe Government should encourage competition, NOT prop up the weak when the going gets tough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/i-believe-government-should-encourage-competition-not-prop-up-the/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [We believe in a government that is characterized by fairness and reasonableness, a reasonableness that goes beyond labels, that doesn't distort or promise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/we-believe-in-a-government-that-is-characterized-by-fairness-and/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [I believe that a government has only one religion - India first. A government has only one holy book - our Constitution. A government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/i-believe-that-a-government-has-only-one-religion-india-first-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [The modern day anarchists known as the Tea Party, they believe in no government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/the-modern-day-anarchists-known-as-the-tea-party-they-believe-in-no/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [My most earnest wish is to see the republican element of popular control pushed to the maximum of its practicable exercise. I shall then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/my-most-earnest-wish-is-to-see-the-republican-element-of-popular/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I believe that government should confine itself to the public realm and that it should be as stripped down as possible, within reason. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-believe-that-government-should-confine-itself-to-the-public-realm/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I believe that government is too large, costs too much, spends too much, and has too much regulatory power in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-walberg/i-believe-that-government-is-too-large-costs-too-much-spends-too-much/) [Tim Walberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-walberg/) ## More by William Hague > [There is no budget for travel for a Shadow Foreign Secretary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/there-is-no-budget-for-travel-for-a-shadow-foreign-secretary/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [When we said that no more areas of power should go to the EU we were right. And now thanks to the European Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/when-we-said-that-no-more-areas-of-power-should-go-to-the-eu-we-were/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [You do have to do business with and to try to influence people you don't agree with, or find disagreeable, so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/you-do-have-to-do-business-with-and-to-try-to-influence-people-you/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [Not all politicians are bonkers, but most of them are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/not-all-politicians-are-bonkers-but-most-of-them-are/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [I don't think a wise thing at this moment is for Israel to launch a military attack on Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-don-t-think-a-wise-thing-at-this-moment-is-for-israel-to-launch-a/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [When you reduce taxes on higher earners it's vital to be reducing them on lower earning people as well so the nation shares in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/when-you-reduce-taxes-on-higher-earners-it-s-vital-to-be-reducing/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [A generation of children has been betrayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/a-generation-of-children-has-been-betrayed/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [It is the mission of the next Conservative Government to build the Responsible Society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/it-is-the-mission-of-the-next-conservative-government-to-build-the/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [Britain does not normally these days play a huge part in peacekeeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/britain-does-not-normally-these-days-play-a-huge-part-in-peacekeeping/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [Syria should not belong to one family, to one coterie, or to one party. It belongs to all the people of Syria equally, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/syria-should-not-belong-to-one-family-to-one-coterie-or-to-one-party/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [The total economy of Latin America is bigger than China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/the-total-economy-of-latin-america-is-bigger-than-china/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [I gave up lots of things I love doing: writing, and business, and playing the piano and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-gave-up-lots-of-things-i-love-doing-writing-and-business-and/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [Remember the No campaign is Conservative people, Labour people, people of no party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/remember-the-no-campaign-is-conservative-people-labour-people-people/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [I have found that I get a better reaction from people once I am less bothered about their reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-have-found-that-i-get-a-better-reaction-from-people-once-i-am-less/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [Someone once claimed I was not really a Yorkshireman!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/someone-once-claimed-i-was-not-really-a-yorkshireman/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) [Explore all 99 William Hague quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so they have to know that lessons have been learnt and that all political parties and people, whether they were for or against the invasion of Iraq, have learnt lessons.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hague" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-after-iraq-is-that-people-won-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-after-iraq-is-that-people-won-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/william-hague-6344_believe_i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-af_867945.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the way things have been left after Iraq is that people won't believe the Government of the day, so…” — William Hague", "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": "William Hague", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the way things have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-after-iraq-is-that-people-won-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-think-the-way-things-have-been-left-after-iraq-is-that-people-won-t/#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 } } ] } ```