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Jim Mattis
33 quotes
“Good afternoon, Marines. Thank you for your attention so late on a Friday. I know the women of Southern California are waiting for you, so I won't waste your time.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening remark in an address of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Marines at Camp Pendleton (September 2002), as quoted in One Bullet Away : The Making of a Marine Officer (2005 by Nathaniel Fick, p. 163)
“None of the widely touted new technologies and weapons systems "would have helped me in the last three years [in Iraq and Afghanistan]. But I could have used cultural training [and] language training. I could have used more products from American universities [who] understood the world does not revolve around America and [who] embrace coalitions and allies for all of the strengths that they bring us.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speaking at a professional conference on military transformation, urging the Pentagon to invest in efforts that would "diminish the conditions that drive people to sign up for these kinds of insurgencies." As quoted in …
“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: One of the rules to live by which he gave his Marines in Iraq, as quoted in Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq (2006) by Thomas E. Ricks; as excerpted in Armed Forces Journal (August 2006)
“I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I’ll kill you all.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: After the invasion of Iraq — and after sending his tanks and artillery home — Mattis sent this message to the Iraqi leaders in every area his men served in, as quoted in Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq (…
“The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot. There are hunters and there are victims. By your discipline, cunning, obedience and alertness, you will decide if you are a hunter or a victim. It’s really a hell of a lot of fun. You’re gonna have a blast out here!”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Addressing a gathering of 200 Marines in al Asad, as quoted in "Fiasco", Armed Forces Journal (1 August 2006)
“You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like brawling.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Panel discussion in San Diego, California (1 February 2005) as quoted in "General: It's 'fun to shoot some people'" CNN (4 February 2005); a contextualized explanation of his remarks occurs in an essay by one of the Mar…
“There is only one ‘retirement plan’ for terrorists.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Fiasco", Armed Forces Journal (1 August 2006)
“PowerPoint makes us stupid.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Referring to the presentation software at a brief in North Carolina (April 2010), as quoted in "We Have Met the Enemy and He Is PowerPoint" (2010) by Elisabeth Bumiller, The New York Times (27 March 2010)
“In this age, I don’t care how tactically or operationally brilliant you are, if you cannot create harmony — even vicious harmony — on the battlefield based on trust across service lines, across coalition and national lines, and across civilian/military lines, you need to go home, because your leadership is obsolete. We have got to have officers who can create harmony across all those lines.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2010 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: At the May 2010 JFCOM Conference Ares blog, Aviation Week (June 2010)
“I have the forces to squash the Iran military if I need to; but I've seen a lot of war and really don't want to kill young Iranian boys,”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Responding to a question during a conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington in the spring of 2011.
“Treachery has existed as long as there’s been warfare, and there’s always been a few people that you couldn’t trust.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In response to a question during a congressional hearing about whether the U.S. should modify its Afghan strategy in response to six U.S. soldiers being killed by Afghan soldiers between Feb. 23 and March 1. As quoted i…
“When you were the commander of the Central Command, how much time, worry did you have on Iran? Was that your primary concern? I don't have worry and stress. I cause worry and stress.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: CNN journalist Wolf Blitzer and James Mattis (20 July 2013), in an interview conducted live on CNN about Mattis, his experiences as a senior commander in the Marine Corps, and his perspectives on modern issues of defens…
“Combining al Qaeda's significant fighting capabilities with a stronger focus on the administrative capabilities that might permit it to hold ground, the Islamic State copied the latter from Hezbollah's model. Basically, Islamic State is a combined al Qaeda and Lebanese Hezbollah on steroids, destabilizing the region, dissolving borders/changing the political geography in the mid-east, and hardening political positions that make mid-east peace-building more remote by the day.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2014 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speaking about the Islamic State of the Levant, as quoted in "Legendary Marine General James Mattis: To Fight ISIS, 'Boots On The Ground' Needs To Be An Option" by Paul Szoldra, Business Insider (18 September 2014)
“John Dickerson: What keeps you awake at night? James Mattis: Nothing, I keep other people awake at night.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Exchange in an interview between John Dickerson and James Mattis on CBS' "Face the Nation" (28 May 2017)
“That China “harbored long-term designs to rewrite the existing global order,”...The Ming Dynasty appears to be their model, albeit in a more muscular manner, demanding that other nations become tribute states kowtowing to Beijing.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech at the Naval War College's graduation ceremony (21 June 2018) Mattis compared Xi’s China to the Ming Dynasty. Xi might be happy to hear it.
“Remember, I don't have stress; I create it.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech at the Virginia Military Institute (25 September 2018)
“I think the rewards for moral courage are promotion. ... Any institution gets the behavior it rewards. Now if the institution gets rotten, you can have a problem with this. It's happened to institutions, it's happened to corporations. It's why you have to be very alert to this to keep your personal and managerial integrity.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with David Brooks on C-SPAN (9 June 2019), time code 48:00
“Today’s violent assault on our Capitol, an effort to subjugate American democracy by mob rule, was fomented by Mr. Trump. His use of the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice. Our Constitution and our Republic will overcome this stain and We the People will come together again in our never-ending effort to form a more perfect Union, while Mr. Trump will deservedly be left a man without a country.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement quoted in "Former Defense Secretary Mattis says Trump 'fomented' the security breach at the US Capitol", ABC News (7 January 2021)
“If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition, ultimately. So I think it’s a cost-benefit ratio. The more that we put into the State Department’s diplomacy, hopefully the less we have to put into a military budget as we deal with the outcome of an apparent American withdrawal from the international scene.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To all who serve in defense of our values.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You don't always control your circumstances, but you can always control your response.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To risk death willingly, to venture forth knowing that in so doing you may cease to exist is an unnatural act. To take the life of a fellow human being or to watch your closest comrades die exacts a profound emotional toll.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Reading sheds light on our dark path ahead. By traveling into the past, I enhance my grasp of the present.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“IN UNION THERE IS STRENGTH I have watched this week's unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words "Equal Justice Under Law" are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand — one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values — our values as people and our values as a nation.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens — much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We must reject any thinking of our cities as a "battlespace" that our uniformed military is called upon to "dominate." At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict — a false conflict — between the military and civilian society. It erodes the moral ground that ensures a trusted bond between men and women in uniform and the society they are sworn to protect, and of which they themselves are a part.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We do not need to militarize our response to protests. We need to unite around a common purpose. And it starts by guaranteeing that all of us are equal before the law.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For decades, Saddam Hussein has tortured, imprisoned, raped and murdered the Iraqi people; invaded neighboring countries without provocation; and threatened the world with weapons of mass destruction. The time has come to end his reign of terror. On your young shoulders rest the hopes of mankind. When I give you the word, together we will cross the Line of Departure, close with those forces that choose to fight, and destroy them. Our fight is not with the Iraqi people, nor is it with members of the Iraqi army who choose to surrender. While we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat all others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam’s oppression. Chemical attack, treachery, and use of the innocent as human shields can be expected, as can other unethical tactics. Take it all in stride. Be the hunter, not the hunted: never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down. Use good judgment and act in best interests of our Nation. You are part of the world’s most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. Share your courage with each other as we enter the uncertain terrain north of the Line of Departure. Keep faith in your comrades on your left and right and Marine Air overhead. Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit. For the mission’s sake, our country’s sake, and the sake of the men who carried the Division’s colors in the past battles-who fought for life and never lost their nerve-carry out your mission and keep your honor clean. Demonstrate to the world there is "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" than a U.S. Marine.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Mattis' words in a message to the 1st Marine Division (March 2003), on the eve of the Iraq War, as quoted in "Eve of Battle Speech" in The Weekly Standard (1 March 2003); also quoted in War Stories: Operation Iraqi Free…
“For all the ‘4th Generation of War’ intellectuals running around today saying that the nature of war has fundamentally changed, the tactics are wholly new, etc., I must respectfully say, ‘Not really’: Alexander the Great would not be in the least bit perplexed by the enemy that we face right now in Iraq, and our leaders going into this fight do their troops a disservice by not studying — studying, (versus) just reading — the men who have gone before us. We have been fighting on this planet for 5,000 years and we should take advantage of their experience. ‘Winging it’ and filling body bags as we sort out what works reminds us of the moral dictates and the cost of incompetence in our profession.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Addressing the detractors of untested Marine tactics in Iraq (20 November 2003), as quoted in "Fiasco", Armed Forces Journal (1 August 2006)
“It’s good to be back and I’m grateful to serve alongside you as Secretary of Defense. Together with the Intelligence Community we are the sentinels and guardians of our nation. We need only look to you, the uniformed and civilian members of the Department and your families, to see the fundamental unity of our country. You represent an America committed to the common good; an America that is never complacent about defending its freedoms; and an America that remains a steady beacon of hope for all mankind. Every action we take will be designed to ensure our military is ready to fight today and in the future. Recognizing that no nation is secure without friends, we will work with the State Department to strengthen our alliances. Further, we are devoted to gaining full value from every taxpayer dollar spent on defense, thereby earning the trust of Congress and the American people. I am confident you will do your part. I pledge to you I’ll do my best as your Secretary.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In my military judgment, President George H. W. Bush knew how to end a war on our terms. When he said America would take action, we did. He approved of deploying overwhelming forces to compel the enemy's withdrawal or swiftly end the war. He avoided sophomoric decisions like imposing a ceiling on the number of troops or setting a date when we would have to stop fighting and leave. He systematically gathered public support, congressional approval,and UN agreement. He set a clear, limited end state and used diplomacy to pull together a military coalition that included allies we'd never fought alongside. He listened to opposing points of view and guided the preparations, without offending or excluding any stakeholder, while also holding firm to his strategic goal. Under his wise leadership, there was no mission creep. We wouldn't discipline ourselves to be so strategically sound in the future.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Instructions given by the military departments to our troops before the Normandy invasion reminded soldiers that "The Nazi slogan for destroying us...was 'Divide and Conquer.' Our American answer is 'In Union there is Strength.'" We must summon that unity to surmount this crisis — confident that we are better than our politics. Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We can come through this trying time stronger, and with a renewed sense of purpose and respect for one another. The pandemic has shown us that it is not only our troops who are willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the community. Americans in hospitals, grocery stores, post offices, and elsewhere have put their lives on the line in order to serve their fellow citizens and their country. We know that we are better than the abuse of executive authority that we witnessed in Lafayette Square. We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution. At the same time, we must remember Lincoln's "better angels," and listen to them, as we work to unite. Only by adopting a new path — which means, in truth, returning to the original path of our founding ideals — will we again be a country admired and respected at home and abroad.”
Jim Mattis (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source