"Don't worry about the war. It's all over but the shooting"
About this Quote
The quote "Don't worry about the war. It's all over however the shooting" by Samuel Goldwyn is a traditional example of his popular malapropisms, which are often amusing and communicate complicated scenarios in a simplistic manner. In this quote, Goldwyn is addressing the paradoxical nature of dispute resolution. On the surface, the declaration appears inconsistent, indicating that warfare is concluded other than for the continuous violence, which is, naturally, a fundamental aspect of war itself.
To interpret the quote, one might argue that Goldwyn is commenting on the inevitability of conflict escalation to its final stages, where all that stays is the unavoidable conclusion of hostilities. The phrase "all over however the shooting" recommends that although the war's end is in sight, the most violent and definitive actions are still happening. This can reflect a resigning acknowledgement that even as diplomatic or tactical services are looked for or stated, the physical symptoms of war-- the "shooting"-- continue until a conclusive end is accomplished.
Moreover, the declaration can be seen as a critique of the detach in between political negotiations and on-the-ground realities. Often, political leaders may declare an end to hostilities or peace arrangements, while in truth, battling withstands up until troops physically withdraw or surrender occurs. For this reason, Goldwyn's quote highlights the dissonance in between the theoretical end of dispute and the palpable conclusion on the battleground.
This paradoxical remark may also hold more comprehensive applications beyond its actual wartime context. It can symbolize any situation where conflicts-- be they personal, expert, or geopolitical-- have their resolutions in theory drew up, yet the concrete, messy process of attaining that resolution continues. For that reason, Goldwyn's words encapsulate a mix of paradox, inevitability, and the frequently harsh shift from dispute to peace, whether in warfare or in life's myriad other disagreements.
About the Author