Who said “A ''just war'' is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it,…”?

Verified

Alexander Cockburn. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceNew Statesman and Society (8 February 1991).

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“A ''just war'' is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience.”
— Alexander Cockburn
VerifiedNew Statesman and Society (8 February 1991). · evidenceWar

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: New Statesman and Society (8 February 1991)..

APA

Cockburn, A. (n.d.). A ''just war'' is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40236-a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self/

MLA

Cockburn, Alexander. “A ''just war'' is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40236-a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Cockburn, Alexander. “A ''just war'' is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/40236-a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self/.

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