A Quote by L. Neil Smith

It's often been observed that the first casualty of war is the truth. But that's a lie, too, in its way. The reality is that, for most wars to begin, the truth has to have been sacrificed a long time in advance.

L. Neil Smith

Quote Topics

Advance Been Begin Casualty First Lie Long Long Time Most Observed Often Reality Sacrificed Time Too Truth War Wars Way

Quote Author

L. Neil Smith
American - Writer
Born: May 12, 1946

It is often observed that the first casualty of war is truth, but how do you tell the truth without betraying the sacrifice of those who accepted the terms of battle? War is a sacrificial system that creates its own justification.

Stanley Hauerwas

Truth, it has been said, is the first casualty of war.

Philip Snowden, 1st Viscount Snowden

In war, truth is often the first casualty.

Winston Churchill

Truth has anciently been called the first casualty of war. Money may, in fact, have priority.

John Kenneth Galbraith

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

Harry Browne

In time of war the first casualty is truth.

Boake Carter

It’s not enough to be able to lie with a straight face; anybody with enough gall to raise on a busted flush can do that. The first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth — but not all of it. The second way involves telling the truth, too, but is harder: Tell the exact truth and maybe all of it…but tell it so unconvincingly that your listener is sure you are lying.

Robert A. Heinlein

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

They keep telling us that in war truth is the first casualty, which is nonsense since it implies that in times of peace truth stays out of the sick bay or the graveyard.

Alexander Cockburn

The first casualty when war comes is truth.

Hiram Johnson

In war the first casualty is the truth.

Aeschylus

In war, truth is the first casualty.

Aeschylus

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.