Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
Look at you in war...There has never been a just one, never an honorable one, on the part of the instigator of the war.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War is inherently unjust and those who initiate it do so without honor.
Mark Twain's quote reflects a profound skepticism about the morality of war, arguing that there is no war initiated by an instigator that can be considered just or honorable. It challenges the common narratives that often glorify warfare and critiques the motivations and consequences that accompany such conflicts, urging us to question the ethics of those who declare war for their own interests.
Themes
WarJusticeHonorMoralityConflict
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the consequences of war, you could use this quote to emphasize the pitfalls of glorifying conflict.
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To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
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In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
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