This heroism at command, this senseless violence, this accursed bombast of patriotism--how intensely I despise them!

This heroism at command, this senseless violence, this accursed bombast of patriotism--how intensely I despise them!

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.

I have always said that a conference was held for one reason only, to give everybody chance to get sore read more

I have always said that a conference was held for one reason only, to give everybody chance to get sore at everybody else. Sometimes it takes two or three conferences to scare up a war, but generally one will do it.

Our land, the first garden of liberty's tree--
It has been, and shall be, the land of the free.

Our land, the first garden of liberty's tree--
It has been, and shall be, the land of the free.

Gaily! gaily! close our ranks!
Arm! Advance!
Hope of France!
Gaily! gaily! closed our read more

Gaily! gaily! close our ranks!
Arm! Advance!
Hope of France!
Gaily! gaily! closed our ranks!
Onward! Onward! Gauls and Franks!

Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.

Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.

'Twas in Trafalgar's bay
The saucy Frenchmen lay.

'Twas in Trafalgar's bay
The saucy Frenchmen lay.

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That read more

Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic read more

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.