It is all as of old, the empty clangour, The NOTHING scrawled on a five-foot page, The huckster who, mocking holy anger, Painfully paints his face with rage. : We that fight till the world is free, We have no comfort in victory; We have read each other as Cain his brother, We know each other, these slaves and we.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Old cycles of empty noise and fake anger repeat while we fight for freedom without comfort. We recognize our enemies as brothers in sin, sharing a enslaved condition.
- In plain terms
- The same old fighting and fake anger continue, but we know our enemies are just like us.
- What can you take from it?
- Fight empty for freedom knowing all sides share the same flaws.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we fight without dehumanizing the opponent?
- Is victory possible if all sides are equally flawed?
Another view
Equating enemies as brothers in sin can obscure clear moral distinctions.
More from Gilbert Keith Chesterton
For we that fight till the world is free, We are not easy in victory: We have known each other too long, my brother, And fought each other, the world and we.
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