Democracy divides people into workers and loafers. It makes no provision for those who have no time to work.
War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the futility of war, highlighting the delusions and ultimate losses experienced by all parties involved.
Karl Kraus's quote encapsulates the changing mindset that one experiences in the context of war. Initially, there is an optimistic hope to win, followed by the expectation that the adversary experiences defeat and suffering. However, as the conflict progresses, the harsh reality emerges where the true outcome reveals that all sides have incurred losses, emphasizing the tragic cycle of violence and suffering inherent in warfare. The quote ultimately critiques the destructive nature of war and the illusions that accompany it.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impacts of conflicts, one might quote Kraus to highlight the mutual destruction caused by war.
More from Karl Kraus
All quotes →The mission of the press is to spread culture while destroying the attention span.
Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match.
Experiences are savings which a miser puts aside. Wisdom is an inheritance which a wastrel cannot exhaust.
Sexuality poorly repressed unsettles some families; well repressed, it unsettles the whole world.
My unconscious knows more about the consciousness of the psychologist than his consciousness knows about my unconscious.
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The more important the subject and the closer it cuts to the bone of our hopes and needs, the more we are likely to err in establishing a framework for analysis.
Without the restraints of religion and social worship, men become savages much sooner than savages become civilized by means of religion and civil government.