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About this quote

What does it mean?
If people discover that a nation's call to arms is built on falsehood, they will reject it.
In plain terms
Falsehoods behind war calls cause people to refuse service.
What can you take from it?
Truth can undermine recruitment.

Where it applies

  • military conscription
  • nationalist propaganda
  • public speeches

Putting it to work

  • exposing propaganda
  • promoting accountability

Questions to consider

  • How does truth affect morale in times of conflict?
  • Can deception ever be justified to protect morale?

Another view

Some may still answer duty despite knowing deceit.

More from Arthur Ponsonby

  1. There are some who object to war because of its immorality, there are some who shrink from the arbitrament of arms because of its increased cruelty and barbari…

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  2. There is nothing sensational in the way of revelations contained in these pages. All the cases mentioned are well known to those who were in authority, less we…

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  3. When the people of one country understand how the people in another country are duped, like themselves, in war-time, they will be more disposed to sympathize w…

    Permalink to quote #26

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