The Emergency State Quotes

“Market-driven economic growth never distributes its material rewards with mathematical equality. Economic incentives and disincentives spur hard work, innovation and risk-taking.”
― David C. Unger, The Emergency State: America's Pursuit of Absolute Security at All Costs

“The emergency state tradition also taught them [presidents] to see war against another state as the strongest available tool in the foreign policy toolkit, even though no enemy state had sponsored the 9/11 attacks and Al-Qaeda could easily survive the defeat of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. When your toolbox has only hammers, everything starts looking like a nail.”
― David C. Unger, The Emergency State: America's Pursuit of Absolute National Security at All Costs

“Making and carrying out the nation’s foreign policy behind the backs of Congress and the public may seem to be a good way to bypass critics, but it also bypasses the kind of hard debate that can refine over simplistic policies into practical ones.”
― David C. Unger, The Emergency State: America's Pursuit of Absolute National Security at All Costs