Quote #98

The thing Mr Zilliacus leaves out of account is that wars have results, irrespective of the motives of those who precipitate them. No one can question the dirtiness of international politics from 1870 onwards: it does not follow that it would have been a good thing to allow the German army to rule Europe.

More from George Orwell

  1. In the negative part of Professor Hayek's thesis there is a great deal of truth. It cannot be said too often - at any rate, it is not being…
  2. Between them these two books sum up our present predicament. Capitalism leads to dole queues, the scramble for markets, and war. Collectivi…
  3. Taken together, these two books give grounds for dismay. The first of them is an eloquent defence of laissez-faire capitalism, the other is…
  4. So far as I can see, all political thinking for years past has been vitiated in the same way. People can foresee the future only when it co…
  5. Your name and your deeds were forgotten Before your bones were dry, And the lie that slew you is buried Under a deeper lie; But the thing t…
  6. The Left as a whole failed to foresee the rise of Fascism and failed to grasp that the Nazis were dangerous even when they were on the verg…
  7. I myself believe, perhaps on insufficient grounds, that the common man will win his fight sooner or later, but I want it to be sooner and n…
  8. The most one can say is that people can be fairly good prophets when their wishes are realizable. But a truly objective approach is almost …

All George Orwell quotes