I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution of problems between nations.
Douglas MacarthurRead
Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant funds demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real.
Interpretation
The quote criticizes how governments manipulate public fear to maintain control and justify their demands.
Douglas MacArthur's quote highlights the tendency of governments to create a climate of fear among citizens, framing various situations as national emergencies to compel support and funding. He suggests that many of these supposed threats have turned out to be exaggerated or nonexistent, indicating a manipulation of public sentiment for political ends.
In practice
In a political debate highlighting government overreach.
I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution of problems between nations.
In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield.
Worry, doubt, fear and despair are the enemies which slowly bring us down to the ground and turn us to dust before we die.
We are not retreating - we are advancing in another direction.
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.
No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.
I'm also very much aware that it is you who brought democracy to Chile, you set up a constitution suitable for democracy, you put it into effect, elections were held, and then, in accordance with the result, you stepped down.
If you care about women's rights, you can't not vote.
The [Israelis] believed - they were possessed of an absolute certainty and conviction - that 'terrorists' were in Chatila. How could I explain to them that the terrorists had left, that the terrorists had worn Israeli uniforms, that the terrorists had been sent into Chatila by Israeli officers, that the victims of the terrorists were not Israelis but Palestinians and Lebanese?
In the midst of these pleasing ideas we should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose sight of the danger to our liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections.
The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning.
Collective European Union action could mean no hiding places for evaders, no safe haven for tax avoiders, and no treasure islands for money launderers.
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