Quotes About Loyalty

I once saw a note on a Stasi file from early 1989 that I would never forget. In it a young lieutenant alerted his superiors to the fact that there were so many informers in church opposition groups at demonstrations that they were making these groups appear stronger than they really were. In one of the most beautiful ironies I have ever seen, he dutifully noted that, by having swelled the ranks of the opposition, the Stasi was giving the people heart to keep demonstrating against them.

The young man looked down from the cart at the people in front of him. Jonah felt his teacher's eyes meet his own, and for a fraction of a second a smile played on the prisoner's lips. Then he glanced toward heaven and spoke. "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

George Bush, had he been around at the time, would undoubtedly have joined this chorus in favour of the status quo, his only contribution to Ukrainian independence being the infamous 'Chicken Kiev' speech of August 1991, in which he urged Ukrainians to stay loyal to the Soviet Union. But at least Bush knew Ukraine existed.

Unlike other dictators, Stalin and his satraps never made the mistake of believing themselves beloved -- on the contrary they saw plots under every stone.

This is what happened: we were completely abandoned. No one had the courage to attempt the impossible. We were slaves without honor. We were strangers in our own land. Then one man stood up. A nameless man, without any money, without a crown. One among millions. He lifted our hearts up to the stars. We followed him and swore him allegiance. The best of us died for him. We all would die for him. If he unfurls the flag we are ready to march against hell for him and for Germany. A

Mothers, justifiably fearful for every pfennig and always asking, What's it for? willingly gave up their sons and parts of their sons as long as they kept on playing this march. Once the music has faded away, they'd ask softly, What for? What for?

The fiancé was in the same SA division, not because he couldn't live without a brown shirt, but because he wanted to be able to work, to get married, to inherit his parents' farm, and to live in peace, which he would certainly have been prevented from doing otherwise.

This horse has got a good master, and he deserves it.

I'm really more of a Border collie woman, to be honest,

I vowed to remain quiet, to finish what I'd started, sending Jimmy to school. He would graduate in three months, then I would insist that we leave. I would carry out my part of the bargain and I would not lose Jimmy. And so we did move to San Francisco; my husband sent me through college, where I learned, among other things, about being a class traitor. I went my own way, away from him, and threw myself into the struggles of my generation, determined never to forsake my class again.

the worst kind of one-party state "invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.

This form of soft dictatorship does not require mass violence to stay in power. Instead, it relies upon a cadre of elites to run the bureaucracy, the state media, the courts, and, in some places, state companies. These modern-day clercs understand their role, which is to defend the leaders, however dishonest their statements, however great their corruption, and however disastrous their impact on ordinary people and institutions. In exchange, they know that they will be rewarded and advanced.

Allegiance to a belief system can have deep, non-rational roots

el Gobierno y la industria no se asignaban a los más trabajadores ni a los más capaces, sino a los más leales.

Arendt observed the attraction of authoritarianism to people who feel resentful or unsuccessful back in the 1940s, when she wrote that the worst kind of one-party state "invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty.

Las plazas universitarias, los puestos relacionados con los derechos civiles o los cargos de responsabilidad en el Gobierno y la industria no se asignaban a los más trabajadores ni a los más capaces, sino a los más leales.

I suppose [...] that the most convincing way to fool an enemy would be to fool a friend.

Vlad stared at Simon. "Meg told the Elders they were..." "Bad puppies," Simon finished. "Yeah." A minute passed before Vlad said, "Why?" "They didn't say 'please' when they asked for cookies." "I don't know what to say." Simon scratched behind an ear that was now Wolf-shaped and furry. "That's okay. Meg said plenty for all of us.

He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and massaged gently. "Listen to me, Cat, because I'll only say this once. You're the finest Lady I've ever met and the dearest friend I've ever had. Besides that, I love you like a brother, and any bastard who hurts my little sister is going to answer to me.

Jaenelle squirmed. "My…mate…is trapped in the Twisted Kingdom. If I don't show him the way out, he'll be destroyed.

Red flickered in his amber eyes and he snarled at her. "If you ever scare me like this again, I will eat you!" Then he pressed his forehead against her arm and whined.

Kowalski shrugged. "She's my mate. I can live with it if it makes her happy." Simon looked at the bulging carry sacks Kowalski had in each hand. "Couldn't you just give her the best parts of a bunny?" "Doesn't

he was the friend who would become an enemy in order to remain a friend. 3

A leader needs to look beyond his own kind, needs the obedience of everyone in the Courtyard because we're surrounded by the enemy.