We were young, we were foolish, we were arrogant, but we were right.
Meaning of the quote
The quote reflects how when we are young, we often think we know everything and can do no wrong. We may act cocky and overconfident. But even if we make mistakes or act foolishly, we can still be correct about important things. The message is that being young and inexperienced doesn't mean you are always wrong - sometimes your beliefs and actions can still be justified, despite your youthful arrogance.
About Daniel Ellsberg
Daniel Ellsberg was an American political activist and military analyst who famously leaked the Pentagon Papers, exposing the U.S. government’s deception about the Vietnam War. Despite facing charges under the Espionage Act, Ellsberg was ultimately acquitted due to governmental misconduct. He is widely recognized for his moral courage and contributions to decision theory and nuclear policy.
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More quotes from Daniel Ellsberg
Obama is making a choice now that will lead to the deaths of many thousands of civilians in Afghanistan by American hands. By ordinary standards of presidents, he is a decent man. But those standards aren’t good enough. He’s in a position either to kill or not to kill, and he’s made the decision to kill.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
We were young, we were foolish, we were arrogant, but we were right.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
If there’s another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will be, the day after or within days an equivalent of a Reichstag fire decree that will involve massive detentions in this country.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
There should be at least one leak like the Pentagon Papers every year.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
Only we, the public, can force our representatives to reverse their abdication of the war powers that the Constitution gives exclusively to the Congress.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
If monarchy is corrupting – and it is – wait till you see what overt empire does to us.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
The fact is that when it comes to judgment as to what should be secret and what should not be secret, Julian Assange’s judgment has been pretty good so far.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
There are two types of courage involved with what I did. When it comes to picking up a rifle, millions of people are capable of doing that, as we see in Iraq or Vietnam. But when it comes to risking their careers, or risking being invited to lunch by the establishment, it turns out that’s remarkably rare.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
Nixon did have a secret plan, and I knew that it involved making threats of nuclear war to North Vietnam.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
I agree that there are things that should be kept secret.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
President Johnson put destroyers in harm’s way in the Tonkin Gulf not only once, but several times, with the, with a lot of his people hoping that it would lead to a confrontation and claiming that it had. And could have resulted in the lost of many lives in the course of it.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
It was a good 15 or 20 years before anyone at Rand would be in the same room with me. They didn’t want the question raised, ‘What’s your relationship with Daniel Ellsberg?’ And not one of them wrote me a letter because they didn’t want a letter of theirs to show up in my trash – which the FBI had been going through.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)
Look, all administrations, all governments lie, all officials lie and nothing they say is to be believed. That’s a pretty good rule.
American whistleblower (1931-2023)