Quotes About Decision-making

War is a matter of vital importance to the state.

Old men declare war because they have failed to solve complex political and economic problems.

Imagine how different a world might be if more leaders took time to ponder the finality of death before racing off to war.

You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.

In war, groping tactics, half-way measures, lose everything.

[Hillary Clinton] is going to decide war, peace, and health, education, livelihood for my kids. I want the best person.

Secretary of War Stanton used to get out of patience with Lincoln because he was all the time pardoning men who ought to be shot.

I think when we think about the judgment of someone who might want World War III, we might think about someone who might shut down a bridge because they don't like their friends.

How can you send somebody else's kid to war if you won't send your own?

There is no bigger judgment for a president of the United States than how you take a nation to war.

While prudence will endeavor to avoid this issue of war, bravery will prepare to meet it.

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

Wars are fought by teenagers, you realize that. They really ought to be fought by the politicians and old people who start these wars." (Interview with Don Swaim of CBS Radio-1986)

It's worse for you. You want the guilt to absolve you. Just like you want your wife and child to absolve you. Once absolved, you can kill or take soup.

Be stern in the council-chamber, [Show no weakness, and insist on your plans being ratified by the sovereign.] so that you may control the situation.

When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack.

So long as victory can be attained, stupid haste is preferable to clever dilatoriness.

Well, in war, you can only be killed once. But in politics, many times.

War is much too important a matter to be left to the generals.

But in case signals can neither be seen or perfectly understood no captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside the enemy.

When it comes to matters of war and peace, we must not act rashly.

Many a wedding takes place when a man can't afford to go steady with a girl any longer.

The wisdom of hindsight, so useful to historians and indeed to authors of memoirs, is sadly denied to practicing politicians.

People expect Byzantine, Machiavellian logic from politicians. But the truth is simple. Trial lawyers learn a good rule: 'Don't decide what you don't have to decide.' That's not evasion, it's wisdom.