"So that in 1974, when I graduated as a lawyer, I figured I'm not going to be a lawyer under a military regime"
- Ruben Blades
About this Quote
In this quote, Ruben Blades reviews his choice to not pursue a career as a lawyer after finishing in 1974. He explains that this decision was affected by the political climate at the time, particularly the presence of a military program. This recommends that Blades did not want to work within a system that he believed was oppressive and unfair. By choosing not to end up being a lawyer, he was making a declaration versus the government and defending his beliefs. This quote highlights the effect of political events on specific choices and the power of personal convictions.
"Developments in information technology and globalised media mean that the most powerful military in the history of the world can lose a war, not on the battlefield of dust and blood, but on the battlefield of world opinion"
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded"
"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"
"The later it gets the more disturbed the city becomes. I go with Albert through the streets. Men are standing in groups at every corner. Rumours are flying. It is said that the military have already fired on a procession of demonstrating workers"
"As costly as it was in the lives of our men and women in uniform, in military assets, and in esteem and pride, Pearl Harbor was a watershed moment for America"
