20 quotes
We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war.
The only certainty in war is human suffering, uncertain costs, unintended consequences.
War, no matter what our intentions may be, brings suffering and tragedy.
War itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.
We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.
Do we progress, in an upwards fashion, or merely ride the cycles of war and peace, boom and bust?
As commander-in-chief, I make no apology for keeping this country safe and secure through the hard work of diplomacy over the easy rush to war.
Peace is far more preferable to war.… I believe that peace is the only path to true security. … And there is no question that the only path to peace is through negotiations.
But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.
Nobel Prize acceptance speech (2009)
We know that the killers in San Bernardino used military-style assault weapons — weapons of war — to kill as many people as they could.
We Will Not Be Terrorized (2015)
I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.
The New Yorker (2004)
Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate.
Address to the United Nations (2014)
We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.
A New Beginning (2009)
By 2014, the war in Afghanistan will be over.
That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.
Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama Against Going to War with Iraq (2002)
We cannot escape the prospect of nuclear war unless we all commit to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and pursuing a world without them.
United Nations Address (2016)
OK, everybody, I got to get to Star Wars.
And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.
Remarks on death of Osama bin Laden (2011)
And that is not the America I know. The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous.
DNC Address (2016)
Let me make one final point about the use of force. Even as we make difficult decisions about going to war, we must also think clearly about how we fight it.
Nobel Prize acceptance speech (2009)