"Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty"
- George Washington
About this Quote
This quote by George Washington speaks to the threats of a big military facility. He is alerting that such an establishment, despite the form of federal government, is hostile to liberty. He is particularly worried about the risk to republican liberty, which is based on the idea of self-governance. He believes that a big military establishment can cause a concentration of power in the hands of a couple of, which can lead to the erosion of specific flexibilities. He is also alerting that a big military facility can cause a culture of militarism, which can cause a neglect for the guideline of law and the rights of residents. In other words, Washington is warning that a big military establishment can be a risk to liberty and need to be prevented.
"After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it. I sure as hell wouldn't want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military"
"We shall listen, not lecture; learn, not threaten. We will enhance our safety by earning the respect of others and showing respect for them. In short, our foreign policy will rest on the traditional American values of restraint and empathy, not on military might"
"Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military means. But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake"
"Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military"
"Also a great part of Polish industry proved to have existed only to support the Soviet military industry, and it became superfluous and incapable of being transformed into anything else. We did not foresee that or the magnitude of these phenomena"
"In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian countries join forces with other democratic countries in the world to form a global community of democracies"
