I still do not understand how a corporation can have person-hood if it has no soul and never dies.
Jon StewartRead
Thomas Jefferson once said: 'Of course the people don't want war. But the people can be brought to the bidding of their leader. All you have to do is tell them they're being attacked and denounce the pacifists for somehow a lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.' I think that was Jefferson. Oh wait. That was Hermann Goering. Shoot." [Hosting the Peabody Awards for broadcasting excellence at the New York Waldorf-Astoria, June 6, 2006]
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how leaders can manipulate public opinion to justify war by instilling fear and labeling dissenters as unpatriotic.
Jon Stewart's quote discusses the disturbing way in which leaders can control the populace by exploiting their fears, suggesting that by framing a narrative of external threats, they can rally support for war. It underscores the ease with which a society can be led into conflict if the motivation is tied to patriotism, regardless of the consequences or the will of the people. This insight reflects a critical view of political rhetoric and the responsibilities of both leaders and citizens in the context of war.
Themes
WarManipulationLeadershipPatriotismFear
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate discussing the role of government in military engagements.
More from Jon Stewart
All quotes →President Bush announced his new economic plan. The centerpiece was a proposed repeal of the dividend tax on stocks, a boon that could be worth millions of dollars to average Americans. Well, average stock-owning Americans. Technically, Americans who own a significant amount of shares in dividend-dealing companies. Well, rich people, that's what I'm trying to say. They're going to do really well with this.
Jon StewartRead
Wait a minute! Wait a minute! I figured this out. I know what's wrong with what we've done in Iraq. We've been following time as it goes forward. What a classic mistake. Linear time is so pre-9-11.
Jon StewartRead
You just have to keep trying to do good work, and hope that it leads to more good work. I want to look back on my career and be proud of the work, and be proud that I tried everything. Yes, I want to look back and know that I was terrible at a variety of things.
Jon StewartRead
If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested, they're not values: they're hobbies.
Jon StewartRead
A guy comes down to earth, takes your sins, dies, and comes back three days later. You believe in him and go to heaven forever. How do you get from that to Hide-The-Eggs? Did Jesus have a problem with eggs? Did he go, "When I come back, if I see any eggs, the whole salvation thing is off."
Jon StewartRead
Similar quotes
Afghanistan's borders are arbitrary, drawn to meet 19th-century political needs rather than to respect ethnic or religious patterns.
Stephen KinzerRead
It's not the hand that signs the laws that holds the destiny of America. It's the hand that casts the ballot.
Harry S. TrumanRead
Look, I get it. Whether it's school, work, family, we've all got a lot on our minds. People say to me, "I'm just too busy to think about politics." But here's the thing: You may not be thinking about politics, but politics is thinking about you.
Kerry WashingtonRead
The need for peace in Northern Ireland goes well beyond political stability. It now speaks to regional Europe and even global stability.
Hillary ClintonRead
Never has so much military and economic and diplomatic power been used so ineffectively, and if after all of this time, and all of this sacrifice, and all of this support, there is still no end in sight, then I say the time has come for the American people to turn to new leadership not tied to the mistakes and policies of the past.
Richard M. NixonRead
We should certainly know by now that it is one thing to overthrow a dictator or repel an invader and quite another thing really to achieve a revolution. Time and time and time again, the people discover that they have merely betrayed themselves into the hands of yet another Pharaoh, who, since he was necessary to put the broken country together, will not let them go.
James A. BaldwinRead