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Herman Kahn Quotes

Strategist

Herman Kahn was a renowned strategist, born on February 15, 1922, and died on July 7, 1983. He made significant contributions to nuclear war and strategic studies during the Cold War era, known as the 'father of nuclear war theory'.

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All Nuclear Weapons War Nuclear Weapons Should Thinking World Would Be Decision Firsts Ifs Immoral Important Nuclear War People Resources Use Years 1960s Able

Famous Herman Kahn Quotes

“A healthy and fully functioning society must allocate its resources among a variety of competing interests, all of which are more or less valid but none of which should take precedence over national security.”

Should Interest Security Healthy Resources Variety National Security Competing Precedence

Book:The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

Source: The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

“Anything that reduces war-related destruction should not be considered altogether immoral.”

Should War Destruction Related Immoral

Book:The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

Source: The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

“For if enough people were really convinced that growth should be halted, and if they acted on that conviction, then billions of others might be deprived of any realistic hope of gaining the opportunities now enjoyed by the more fortunate.”

People Ifs Should Enough Might Opportunity Growth Conviction Convinced Billions Enjoyed Fortunate Realistic Deprived

Book:The next 200 years: a scenario for America and the world

Source: The next 200 years: a scenario for America and the world

“For some years I have spent my time on exactly these questions - both in thinking about ways to prevent war, and in thinking about how to fight, survive, and terminate a war, should it occur.”

Thinking Way Should Years War Fighting My Time

Book:The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

Source: The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

“In 1960 I published a book that attempted to direct attention to the possibility of a thermonuclear war, to ways of reducing the likelihood of such a war, and to methods for coping with the consequences should war occur despite our efforts to avoid it.”

Way Should Book War Effort Attention Possibility Consequence Direct Method Despite 1960s Reducing Coping Nuclear War Likelihood

Book:The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

Source: The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

“The objective of nuclear-weapons policy should not be solely to decrease the number of weapons in the world, but to make the world safer - which is not necessarily the same thing.”

World Should Numbers Policy Weapons Nuclear Objectives Nuclear Weapons Objectivity Decrease

Book:The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

Source: The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of Thinking

About the Author

Born: February 15, 1922
Died: July 7, 1983
Known for: Strategist
Quotes: 37

Books & Sources

The Essential Herman Kahn: In Defense of ThinkingRelated source material

Thinking Unth 80SPRelated source material

The next 200 years: a scenario for America and the worldRelated source material

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