Quotes About War

Deception is a sort of seduction. In love and war, adultery and espionage, deceit can only succeed if the deceived party is willing, in some way, to be deceived.

The trickiest aspect of lying is maintaining the lie. Telling an untruth is easy, but continuing and reinforcing a lie is far harder. The natural human tendency is to deploy another lie to bolster the initial mendacity. Deceptions—in the war room, boardroom, and bedroom—usually unravel because the deceiver lets down his guard and makes the simple mistake of telling, or revealing, the truth.

Britain might be in the grip of rationing, but buying the materials for a homemade bomb was a piece of cake. (In fact, obtaining the ingredients for a decent cake would have been rather harder.)

The defining feature of this spy would be his falsity. He was a pure figment of imagination, a weapon in war far removed from the traditional battle of bombs and bullets.

In a world where no one listens, where no one seems to care, where hatred is greater than love, where hearts are hardened by vengeance and pride, where violence is preferable to peace, what else is there for him to do but heal the wounded, and bury the dead, in a war that could go on forever?

My colleagues and I also were uncertain about the economic consequences of the war, especially its effect on energy prices.

The Passions of men," Hobbes writes, "are commonly more potent than their Reason." Reason cannot bring happiness, nor can it be used as the goal of a philosophical life. There is no happiness. There is only striving and security and passion. Reason cannot save us from the war of all against all; only the Leviathan, the power of the state, can.21

It was one thing to suggest that Bush had lied America into a war for oil. It was another to speak while Obama was speaking.

whenever the legislators endeavor to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any farther obedience,

In preparation for the "Days of Rage," the Weathermen met with representatives of North Vietnam in Cuba to train them in tactics. The North Vietnamese promptly asked them to start a war on U.S. soil. The Weathermen would be only too happy to oblige.

The left knows this is war. And they know you are the enemy. You will be castigated. You will get punched. That's the way it will go because that's how the left wins: through intimidation and cruelty.

Avowed Marxist and tenured professor at the University of Texas, David Michael Smith, called capitalism "a system based on exploitation and oppression and domination and racism and war—and lots of other things."20 Right. And socialism is a system based on pretty butterflies and flowers and tolerance of all living creatures.

Grant us victory over the tyrants who would enslave all free men and nations. Grant us faith and understanding to cherish all those who fight for freedom as if they were our brothers. Grant us brotherhood in hope and union, not only for the space of this bitter war, but for the days to come which shall and must unite all the children of earth.

Why have you taken my heart from me? I am not justice nor loyalty. I am the shape of the weathercock, That all winds come to and all winds mock. You are the image of the sea-carved stone, The silent thing that can suffer alone, The little women are easier, The easy women make lighter love, I will not take your face to war, I will not carry your cast-off glove.

War alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and imposes the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to make it.

War is to man what maternity is to a woman. From a philosophical and doctrinal viewpoint, I do not believe in perpetual peace.

War is to man as motherhood is to woman.

It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do.

War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to face it.

It is necessary to act, to move, to fight and, if necessary, to die. Neutrals have never dominated events. They have always gone under. It is blood which moves the wheels of history!

The services in wartime are fit only for desperadoes, but in peace are only fit for fools.

Resist this war on God, freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

La guerre est antérieure au commerce ; car la guerre et le commerce ne sont que deux moyens différents d'atteindre le même but : celui de posséder ce que l'on désire.

The difference of race is one of the reasons why I fear war may always exist because race implies difference, difference implies superiority, and superiority leads to predominance.