We’ve been a country that’s been fortunate to be protected by two oceans, to not have serious attacks on our territory for most of our history. And we were unfortunately reminded in a very devastating way of our vulnerability.

Condoleezza Rice made remarks like this in the post‑9/11 period while reflecting on the United States’ traditional geographic insulation—bounded by the Atlantic and Pacific—and how the September 11, 2001 attacks shattered assumptions of homeland security. As National Security Advisor (2001–2005) and later Secretary of State (2005–2009), Rice frequently framed 9/11 as a strategic turning point that exposed U.S. vulnerability to transnational terrorism and helped justify a reorientation of national security policy toward counterterrorism, intelligence reform, and overseas military engagement. The quote fits that broader rhetorical and policy context of explaining why Americans felt newly exposed despite long-standing geographic advantages.

Rice contrasts America’s historical sense of safety—reinforced by distance and oceans—with the reality that modern threats can bypass geography. The “fortunate” protection of oceans suggests a long era in which wars were largely fought away from the continental U.S., fostering a belief in exceptional security. The “devastating” reminder points to 9/11 as both a human tragedy and a psychological rupture: vulnerability became undeniable. The quote’s significance lies in how it frames vulnerability as a lesson with policy implications—implying that complacency is dangerous and that national security must adapt to asymmetric, networked threats that do not respect borders or traditional defenses.