A Quote by James Reston

In any war, the first casualty is common sense, and the second is free and open discussion.

James Reston

Quote Topics

Any Casualty Common Common Sense Discussion First Free Open Second Sense War

Quote Author

James Reston
American - Journalist
November 3, 1909 - December 6, 1995

If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war. Pentagon official, on why US military censored graphic footage from the Gulf War In time of war the first casualty is truth.

Boake Carter

It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth - that during any war truth is forsaken for propaganda.

Harry Browne

They say that truth is the first casualty of war. But there is another casualty as well: trust. As conflict escalates, trust between people and political leaders crumbles away as surely as night follows day.

Peter Maurer

... there was the first Balkan war and the second Balkan war and then there was the first world war. It is extraordinary how having done a thing once you have to do it again, there is the pleasure of coincidence and there is the pleasure of repetition, and so there is the second world war, and in between there was the Abyssinian war and the Spanish civil war.

Gertrude Stein

Well, politics is war, and in war, truth is the first casualty.

Jeff Greenfield

The nation relies upon public discussion as one of the indispensable means to attain correct solutions to problems of social welfare. Curtailment of free speech limits this open discussion. Our whole history teaches that adjustment of social relations through reason is possible when free speech is maintained.

Stanley Forman Reed

I never allow myself to become discouraged under any circumstances. The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are first, hard work, second, stick-to-ittiveness, third, common sense.