War

Today's quotations, with the exception of the last one, all came from the June 17th page in "A Calendar of Wisdom," by Leo Tolstoy.

The misfortunes of war and preparations for war bear little relation to the reasons given to explain war: the real reasons are usually so insignificant that they are not even worth discussion, and they are completely unknown to those who die. (Anonymous)

The madness of contemporary war is justified by dynastic interest, common nationalism, European equilibrium, or ambitions. If there are ambitions in people, this is a very strange way to sustain it, with all the crimes which happen to people during war: destruction of homes, plunder, and mass murder. (Anatole France)

You ask me, is it necessary for civilized people to make war? And I tell you not only is it "already" unnecessary, but it was never necessary, and not sometimes but always it destroys the normal development of humanity, destroys justice, and stops progress. (Galston Mohk)

Only during a period of war does it become obvious how millions of people can be manipulated. People, millions of people, are filled with pride while doing things which those same people actually consider stupid, evil, dangerous, painful, and criminal, and they strongly criticize these things -- but continue doing them. (Anonymous)

The reasons which governments give for wars are always screens, behind which lie completely different reasons and motives. (Anonymous)

If we are going to fight wars why is it necessary to write the Geneva Conventions to establish "rules of war" before hand? Wouldn't it make more sense to write the "rules of peace" and avoid war altogether? (Richard "Mr. Dickie" Henthorn, 17 Jun 2009)