"There is an alternative to war. It has been with us forever"
About this Quote
The subtext is aimed at the alibis nations use when they reach for violence: inevitability, realism, human nature. By insisting the alternative has existed “forever,” Shriver punctures the fashionable cynicism that treats war as history’s engine and diplomacy as its afterthought. He also smuggles in a challenge to American self-mythology in the Cold War and Vietnam era, when militarized resolve was packaged as maturity and restraint was painted as weakness. Shriver, as the architect of the Peace Corps and a major figure in the liberal, service-oriented wing of U.S. politics, understood that “alternative” isn’t just ceasefires and treaties; it’s institution-building, development, and the slow, unglamorous work of making enemies unnecessary.
What makes the line work rhetorically is its quiet refusal to match war’s theatricality. No soaring anthem, no apocalyptic warning. Just a reminder that the most radical idea in politics is often the simplest one: we don’t have to do this, and we never did.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Shriver, Sargent. (2026, January 17). There is an alternative to war. It has been with us forever. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-is-an-alternative-to-war-it-has-been-with-58453/
Chicago Style
Shriver, Sargent. "There is an alternative to war. It has been with us forever." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-is-an-alternative-to-war-it-has-been-with-58453/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"There is an alternative to war. It has been with us forever." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-is-an-alternative-to-war-it-has-been-with-58453/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








