Selected defense quotes

1. Analysis of rebellion leads at least to the suspicion that, contrary to the postulates of contemporary thought, a human nature does exist, as the Greeks believed. Why rebel if there is nothing permanent in oneself worth preserving? ... Rebellion, though apparently negative, since it creates nothing, is profoundly positive in that it reveals the part of man which must always be defended.

2. Neither the Army nor the Navy is of any protection, or very little protection, against aerial raids.

3. The Communist Party and the Soviet Government display constant concern to strengthen the country's defensive might and raise the combat readiness of the Armed Forces.

4. It is from their foes, not their friends, that cities learn the lesson of building high walls.

5. If you are going to have to play defense all the time, you cannot have the kind of ingenuity, assertiveness, independence, and intelligence which is what has made our country strong.

6. My first line of defense against reality is called sleep.

7. I insist that there is nothing sacred in the life of an invader, and there is no valid principle of human society that forbids the invaded to protect themselves in whatever way they can.

8. The growth of entrepreneurial classes throughout the world is an asset in the promotion of human rights and individual liberty, and it should be understood and used as such. Yet peace is the first and most important condition for continued prosperity and freedom. America's military power must be secure because the United States is the only guarantor of global peace and stability. The current neglect of America's armed forces threatens its ability to maintain peace.

9. The ability of a country to wage war is not an accurate measure of its strengths, but of its fears.

10. If the present White House leadership runs the gauntlet of common sense and the people's will for peace and challenges us by starting MX missile deployment, then the Soviet Union will respond by deploying a new intercontinental ballistic missile of the same class, with its characteristics in no way inferior to those of the MX.

11. The aggressor too should know that the preemptive use of nuclear weapons would not insure victory. With modern detection systems and the combat readiness of the Soviet Union's strategic nuclear forces, the United States would not be able to deal a crippling blow to the socialist countries. The aggressor will not be able to evade an all-crushing retaliatory strike.

12. They defend their errors as if they were defending their inheritance.

13. I do not feel guilty of any war crimes, I have only done my duty as an intelligence organ, and I refuse to serve as an ersatz for Himmler.

14. There is no human law or law of God or national law that states that any healthy being has to permit the snake to eat the mouse - but on the other hand, it is perfectly justified to defend the mouse.

15. There is but one means to extenuate the effects of enemy fire: it is to develop a more violent fire oneself.

16. Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.

17. Bush's war in Iraq has done untold damage to the United States. It has impaired our military power and undermined the morale of our armed forces. Our troops were trained to project overwhelming power. They were not trained for occupation duties.

18. There's no bigger task than protecting the homeland of our country.

19. I don't know why you're talking about Sweden. They're the neutral one. They don't have an army.

20. Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

21. It is a ridiculous notion to assert that because the United States is on the offense, more people want to hurt us. We are on the offense because people do want to hurt us.

22. We will export death and violence to the four corners of the earth in defense of our great nation.

23. A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.

24. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

25. Oh God they got you gun shy You know your skin's as cold as ice Your eyes are double filtered babe You're so afraid to be nice There's no way you're ready To let your defenses down Though I won't come on heavy There is a lesson that I've found.

26. An army is a diversion of energy from the productive life of a nation.

27. The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.

28. I'm against the draft. I believe we should have a professional military; it might be smaller, but it would be more effective.

29. All of them, all except Phineas, constructed at infinite cost to themselves these Maginot Lines against this enemy they thought they saw across the frontier, this enemy who never attacked that way-if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy.

30. I will not deny but that the best apology against false accusers is silence and sufferance, and honest deeds set against dishonest words.

31. Any time something is written against me, I not only share the sentiment but feel I could do the job far better myself. Perhaps I should advise would-be enemies to send me their grievances beforehand, with full assurance that they will receive my every aid and support. I have even secretly longed to write, under a pen name, a merciless tirade against myself.

32. Man only honors what he conquers or defends.

33. We do not want a single foot of foreign territory; but of our territory we shall not surrender a single inch to anyone.

34. Fire on anything that moves on the river.

35. A world without nuclear weapons may be a dream but you cannot base a sure defence on dreams. Without far greater trust and confidence between East and West than exists at present, a world without nuclear weapons would be less stable and more dangerous for all of us.

36. For every idealistic peacemaker willing to renounce his self-defence in favour of a weapons-free world, there is at least one warmaker anxious to exploit the other's good intentions.

37. I only direct in self-defense.

38. I've been accused of vulgarity. I say that's bullshit.

39. God has made Canada one of those nations which cannot be conquered and cannot be destroyed, except by itself.

40. Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.

41. Phil, this is character assasination.

42. If he takes a shot at me, I'll be on him like a monkey on a football.

43. She said,'What are you supposed to do?' I said, 'I'm supposed to stop Hitler's army landing.' She said, 'What! - you?' I said, 'No - there's Charlie Evans, Dick Roberts...I said, 'There's seven or eight of us, altogether.' I said, 'We're in a group.' I said, 'We're on guard in a little hut behind the Dog and Pullet.' She said, 'What's the good of being in a little hut behind the Dog and Pullet?' She said, 'I suppose that was your idea!' I said, 'Aye, and that Charlie Evans wants to claim it as his!'

44. We are not isolationists except in so far as we seek to isolate ourselves completely from war. Yet we must remember that so long as war exists on earth there will be some danger that even the Nation which most ardently desires peace may be drawn into war.

45. Without peace and without the overwhelming majority of people that believe in peace defending it, working for it, believing in it, security can never really be a reality.

46. People say I am ruthless. I am not ruthless. And if I find the man who is calling me ruthless, I shall destroy him.

47. 'I'd rather have a Gold Glove (Award) than a Silver Slugger (Award). Defense is so much more of a team game, and one of my goals this year was to make fewer than 25 errors.'

48. The rights of neutrality will only be respected, when they are defended by an adequate power. A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral.

49. The militia is a voluntary force not associated or under the control of the States except when called out; a permanent or long standing force would be entirely different in make-up and call.

50. If circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little, if at all, inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens. This appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it, if it should exist.

51. If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual State. In a single State, if the persons entrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.

52. Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others.

53. To me death is better than the defensive.

54. Mes viska vertiname tik vienu poziuriu: kad tik lietuviai tarnautu Lietuvoje ir - lauk okupacine kariuomene. Atsakykite man i paprasta klausima: o kas gi gins Lietuva?

55. Defenceless, adj. Unable to attack.

56. We are ready for any actions on any day, any month or any year. We are ready now. We have a country, we have an army and we are not going to wait for someone to tell us what to do.

57. I have known Andy for many years... he made a bad slip the other day, but you need not be scared. Andy ain't a drunkard.

58. Throughout history civilian populations and political rulers have talked of peace. We have never been free of war. The soldier, whose profession is war, understands that peace must be enforced by superior military might. The certainty of defeat is the only effective deterrent we can use to maintain peace. Furthermore, we can be strong without being aggressive.

59. To insist on strength is not war-mongering. It is peace-mongering.

60. And don't tell me this is the military that protects our freedom - hey, ladies and gentlemen, there ain't no one out there who's a fucking threat to us. They don't exist. Oh - I'm talking now only of countries we don't arm first. All right, if you want to split hairs, you got a point. 'Bill, what about the nations we sell arms to and then blow the fuck out of?' Okay, they might be scary for about a day!

61. 'I have denied and do deny the malicious stories about cat-strangling and harming animals and challenged to a duel anyone who spread such allegations-for I find these particular allegations, involving cruelty to animals, quite detestable, being, like Savitri Devi and Adolf Hitler, a person who loves and respects animals.'

62. Judge: 'You are prevaricating, sir. Did you or did you not sleep with this woman?' Co-respondent: 'Not a wink, my lord!'

63. I see that the flagpole still stands. Have your troops hoist the colors to its peak, and let no enemy ever haul them down.

64. We have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph, and from both we have learned there can be no turning back. We must go forward to preserve in peace what we won in war. A new era is upon us. Even the lesson of victory itself brings with it profound concern, both for our future security and the survival of civilization. The destructiveness of the war potential, through progressive advances in scientific discovery, has in fact now reached a point which revises the traditional concepts of war.

65. The Pacific no longer represents menacing avenues of approach for a prospective invader. It assumes, instead, the friendly aspect of a peaceful lake. Our line of defense is a natural one and can be maintained with a minimum of military effort and expense.

66. Self-defense is the clearest of all laws; and for this reason - the lawyers didn't make it.

67. Guarded with ships, and all our sea our own.

68. If Paulus's army had capitulated before the end, the Russians would have had the advantage of withdrawing forces against Paulus and against the southern front, where I had only two Romanian armies. Therefore, the resistance of the Sixth German Army, even to the death of the last man, was necessary.

69. Talking about Fabio's height is the same as talking about the fog in Milan.I have never felt that he is short when I play with him,because he can jump higher than anybody else. He is always good at heading. It doesn't make any sense talking about Cannavaro like that.

70. Cannavaro has that unmistakable presence as a leader and in my impression, is exactly like that tough and cool-headed defense he shows on the pitch.

71. I can't choose just one! Real Madrid only has great players. Raul, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo... The one that impressed me the most after having actually played together is Cannavaro. He's sturdy and lithe and his attitude when he faces a match is exceptional too. I think he's the best center-back in the world.

72. Il suffit quelquefois d'etre grossier pour n'etre pas trompe par un habile homme.

73. I've seen proof, black on white, that Herr Dr. Forster has not yet severed his connection with the anti-Semitic movement. ... Since then I've had difficulty coming up with any of the tenderness and protectiveness I've so long felt toward you. The separation between us is thereby decided in really the most absurd way. Have you grasped nothing of the reason why I am in the world? ... Now it has gone so far that I have to defend myself hand and foot against people who confuse me with these anti-Semitic canaille; after my own sister, my former sister, and after Widemann more recently have given the impetus to this most dire of all confusions. After I read the name Zarathustra in the anti-Semitic Correspondence my forbearance came to an end. I am now in a position of emergency defense against your spouse's Party. These accursed anti-Semite deformities shall not sully my ideal!!

74. The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.

75. Your pride can't hurt me - I have no beliefs!

76. Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight.

77. Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man. Anything built by man, can be destroyed by him.

78. I am a little late getting around to it, but confession is good for the soul. I have sometimes voted to spend more taxpayer's money for worthy Federal projects in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while I vigorously opposed wasteful spending boondoggles in Oklahoma. [Laughter] Be that as it may, Mr. Speaker, you and I have always stood together against unwarranted cuts in national defense. This is no time to change that nonpartisan policy.

79. A strong defense is the surest way to peace. Strength makes detente attainable. Weakness invites war, as my generation-my generation-knows from four very bitter experiences. Just as America's will for peace is second to none, so will America's strength be second to none. We cannot rely on the forbearance of others to protect this Nation. The power and diversity of the Armed Forces, active Guard and Reserve, the resolve of our fellow citizens, the flexibility in our command to navigate international waters that remain troubled are all essential to our security.

80. Schoolhouses are the republican line of fortifications.

81. I would never invade the United States, there would be a gun behind every blade of grass.

82. Clyde: Then the animals lit fires to keep us away.

83. Preparation for war is a constant stimulus to suspicion and ill will.

84. Do not take up cause against the inaccuracies printed about you. They are your protection.

85. He who is affected by an insult is infected by it.

86. Protection and patriotism are reciprocal.

87. The United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.

88. No one is going to question my commitment to the defence of our nation. I don't know what it is these Republicans, who didn't serve in any war, have against those of us who are Democrats who did.

89. The law does not expect a man to be prepared to defend every act of his life which may be suddenly and without notice alleged against him.

90. Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him.

91. Is to accept the leadership of a crumbling country a crime? Is to prevent the Russians, the natural enemy of Germany, from obtaining our arms and manpower a crime? In Russian eyes it probably is. But I'm referring to the eyes of a westerner. I knew that we had to capitulate and I wanted it to be to the Americans and British, and not to the East. I'm not even accused of war crimes in the sense of the atrocities. It's clear they have no case against me. I came into a powerful position in 1943. How can I be accused of a conspiracy?

92. Your American admiral said that he held me in the highest esteem, and thought that I conducted my defense perfectly. He said through his chief of staff that my conduct was beyond reproach and he had the greatest admiration for me.

93. The Fuhrer has nominated me as his successor. In full consciousness of my responsibilities I therefore assume the leadership of the German people at this fateful hour. My first task is to save German men and women from destruction by the advancing Bolshevist enemy. It is to serve this purpose alone that the military struggle continues. For as long as the British and the Americans continue to impede the accomplishments of this task, we must also continue to fight and defend ourselves against them. The British and the Americans in that case will not be fighting in the interests of their own peoples, but solely for the expansion of Bolshevism in Europe.

94. Given a nation that not enough citizens can be attracted to defend voluntarily, you probably also have a nation that, by definition, isn't really worth defending.

95. The trouble is, SMers are allowing themselves to be defined by what they are not. We think, 'Oh, so many people believe that we're all murderers and rapists, and we have to explain that we're not!' Uh - so, a slogan for the gay civil rights movement should be 'Normal, Non-threatening and Not After Your Children'?

96. The protection he relied on for nearly thirty years was based on just two things. The same two things anybody uses to protect against any danger. The same way a nation protects itself against an enemy missile, the same way an apartment dweller protects himself against a burglar, the same way a boxer guards against a knockout blow. Detection and response. Stage one, stage two. First you spot the threat coming in, and then you react to it.

97. Every man must be made to realize that further retreat is impossible. He must realize with his mind and heart that this is a matter of life and death of the Soviet state, of the life and death of the people of our country...the Nazi troops must be stopped now, before it is too late.

98. Further strengthening of the defense capacity of our country demands of all Soviet warriors stubbornness and persistent work.

99. Experience proves that armies are not always sufficient to save a nation; while a nation defended by its people is ever invincible.

100. Gandhi himself never ruled out violence absolutely and unreservedly. He conceded the necessity of arms in certain situations. He said, 'Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence... I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor ...'