THE MILITARY

“Standing armies are dangerous to a state.”

—GEORGE WASHINGTON

“A standing army is one of the greatest mischief that can possibly happen.”

—JAMES MADISON

“The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our government.”

—JAMES K. POLK

“[B]eware of elevating to the highest civil trust the commander of your victorious armies.”

—JAMES BUCHANAN

“The one thing I never want to see again is a military parade.”

—ULYSSES S. GRANT

“[I]t is often easier to assemble armies than it is to assemble army revenues.”

—BENJAMIN HARRISON

“I am not one of those who believe that a great standing army is the means of maintaining peace, because if you build up a great profession those who form parts of it want to exercise their profession.”

—WOODROW WILSON

“They have a propaganda machine that is almost equal to Stalin’s.”

—HARRY TRUMAN, on the US Marine Corps

“A lot of wonderful people love their country and hate the military.”

—BILL CLINTON