The missiles come first, and the justifications come second. — E. P. Thompson

The missiles come first, and the justifications come second.

E. P. ThompsonHistorian · British · 1924 – 1993

More from E. P. Thompson

For two decades the state has been taking liberties, and these liberties were once ours. — E. P. Thompson
The talk about balance, nuclear balance, seems to me to be metaphysical and doesn't seem to be real at all. — E. P. Thompson
I will hear no talk that there are no intermediate-range weapons on the NATO side. — E. P. Thompson
There are no European voices at Geneva, there are no European voices at START. — E. P. Thompson
I don't care tuppence whether I'm forced into a leadership position or not. I'd much sooner not. — E. P. Thompson
I have become a prisoner of the peace movement. But you can't say that the termination is coming and then say that you are going back to your own garden to dig. — E. P. Thompson