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George McGovern

George McGovern Quotes

Historian

George McGovern was an American historian renowned for his research on 20th-century American politics and diplomacy. His works delved deeply into the foreign and domestic policies of the United States during the Cold War, shaping the understanding of modern international relations.

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Famous George McGovern Quotes

“People didn't have the political guts to stand up against an American war.”

People War Political Guts American War

Author:George McGovern

“It is a modern tragedy that one of the Soviet Union's most intelligent and realistic leaders has served and died during the administration of the most ill-informed and dangerous man ever to occupy the White House.”

Men War House White Leader Modern Dangerous Cold Tragedy Died Intelligent Unions Ill Administration White House Realistic Soviet Cold War Soviet Union Dangerous Man Modern Tragedy

Author:George McGovern

“To those who charge that liberalism has been tried and found wanting, I answer that the failure is not in the idea, but in the course of recent history. The New Deal was ended by World War II. The New Frontier was closed by Berlin and Cuba almost before it was opened. And the Great Society lost its greatness in the jungles of Indochina.”

“I always thought of myself as a good old South Dakota boy who grew up here on the prairie. My dad was a Methodist minister. I went off to war. I have been married to the same woman forever. I'm what a normal, healthy, ideal American should be like.”

Should Has Beens War Boys Forever Grew Dad Healthy Normal Married Grew Up Ideals South My Dad Ministers Prairie Dakota Methodists South Dakota

Author:George McGovern

“I don't think the American people had a clear picture of either Nixon or me. I think they thought that Nixon was a strong, decisive, tough-minded guy and that I was an idealist and antiwar guy who might not attach enough significance to the security of the country. The truth is, I was the guy with the war record, and my opposition to Vietnam was because I was interested in the nation's well-being.”

People Thinking Wells War Country Enough Might Guy Strong Nations Clear Records Security Truth Is Tough Well Being Opposition Significance Vietnam Antiwar Idealist

Author:George McGovern

“I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.”

“It is not patriotic to commit young Americans to war unless our national security clearly requires it.”

War Young Security Commit Patriotic National Security

Author:George McGovern

“The Establishment center... has led us into the stupidest and cruelest war in all history. That war is a moral and political disaster - a terrible cancer eating away at the soul of our nation.”

War Soul Political Nations Moral Terrible Eating Cancer Disaster Establishment Antiwar Stupidest

Author:George McGovern

“I would not plan to base my campaign primarily on opposition to the war in the Persian Gulf.”

War Plans Campaigns Opposition Persian Persian Gulf

Author:George McGovern

“There is a strong tendency in the United States to rally round the flag and their troops, no matter how mistaken the war.”

War Matter States Strong United United States Rounds Tendencies Flags Troops Mistaken

Author:George McGovern

“When I was a youngster growing up in South Dakota, we never referred to the national debt, it was always referred to as the war debt because it stemmed from World War I.”

World War Growing Up Growing South Debt War Of The Worlds World War I Youngsters National Debt Dakota South Dakota

Author:George McGovern

“I did frequently refer to my war record in World War II, but not in any flamboyant way.”

World Way War Records War Of The Worlds World War Ii Flamboyant

Author:George McGovern

“I thought the Vietnam war was an utter, unmitigated disaster, so it was very hard for me to say anything good about it.”

War Hard Disaster Vietnam Say Anything Vietnam War

Author:George McGovern

“I was the guy who was constantly speaking out against the Vietnam War. I have no regrets about that.”

War Guy Regret Vietnam Vietnam War No Regrets Speaking Out Have No Regrets

Author:George McGovern

“It's a tough thing, to know what to do about a war that deep in your gut you feel is wrong and yet watch your peers going off to fight in that war.”

Knows Feels War Fighting Watches Tough Guts Peers Tough Things

Author:George McGovern

“When I was in the war, I was lucky that I was in a plane and never saw the carnage close-up.”

War Saws Lucky Planes Carnage

Author:George McGovern

“The truth is that I oppose the Iraq war, just as I opposed the Vietnam War, because these two conflicts have weakened the U.S. and diminished our standing in the world and our national security.”

World Two War Security Truth Is Conflict Standing Iraq Vietnam National Security Vietnam War Iraq War Invading Iraq

Author:George McGovern

“It would be a good time to replace the drug war with something more constructive. The cure offered the drug war today has probably been more harmful and done more damage than the disease.”

War Done Would Be Today Drug Disease Cures Damage Good Times Users Constructive War On Drugs

Author:George McGovern

“It doesn t require any particular bravery to stand on the floor of the Senate and urge our boys in Vietnam to fight harder and if this war mushrooms into a major conflict and a hundred thousand young Americans are killed it won t be U.S. Senators who die. It will be American soldiers who are too young to qualify for the Senate.”

Ifs War Young Political Dies Fighting Boys Military Particular Thousand Conflict Majors Hundred Harder Bravery Soldier Urges Vietnam Senate Senators Mushrooms American Soldier

Author:George McGovern

“Im sick and tired of old men sitting around in air conditioned rooms here in Washington, dreaming up wars for young men to die in.”

Men War Dream Young Dies Rooms Air Sitting Sick Tired Young Man Old Man Sitting Around

Author:George McGovern

“I would support a Presidential candidate who pledged to take the following steps: ... At the end of the war in the Persian Gulf, press for a comprehensive Middle East settlement and for a 'new world order' based not on Pax Americana but on peace through law with a stronger U.N. and World Court.”

“From secrecy and deception in high places; come home, America. From military spending so wasteful that it weakens our nation; come home, America. From the entrenchment of special privileges in tax favoritism; from the waste of idle lands to the joy of useful labor; from the prejudice based on race and sex; from the loneliness of the aging poor and the despair of the neglected sick - come home, America.”

Source: The Essential America: Our Founders and the Liberal Tradition

About the Author

Born: July 19, 1922
Died: October 21, 2012
Known for: Historian
Quotes: 105

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Books & Sources

The Essential America: Our Founders and the Liberal TraditionRelated source material

An American Journey: The Presidential Campaign Speeches of George McGovernRelated source material

Grassroots: the autobiography of George McGovernRelated source material

A time of war, a time of peaceRelated source material

McGovern: the man and his beliefsRelated source material

The Third Freedom: Ending Hunger in Our TimeRelated source material

What It Means to Be a DemocratRelated source material

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