"[N]othing short of a world state will be really effective in preventing war. As long as you rely for security on a number of national armaments you will have the difficulty as to who shall bell the cat in case of need, while you will have general staffs in all countries planning future wars. I want us to come out boldly for a real long-range policy which will envisage the abolition of the conception of the individual sovereign state... A united navy to police the seas of the world could be attained and would incidentally bring enormous pressure to bear on Japan. The next thing would be an international air force and an international air service... The basis of such a move would have to be a frank recognition that all states must surrender a large degree of sovereignty and that the Peace Treaties must be revised. On this basis one must then proceed to build up a world structure politically and economically... This may sound very visionary but I am convinced that unless we see the world we want it is vain to try to build a permanent habitation for Peace and that temporary structures will catch fire very soon if we wait any longer."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Prime Ministers of the United KingdomPoliticians from EnglandAcademics from EnglandLawyers from EnglandDemocratic socialists
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee KG OM CH FRS PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. Coming from an upper middle class background, Attlee was converted to socialism through working in the East End of London and became MP for Limehouse in 1922 (later Walthamstow West from 1950–55). He served as Deputy Prime Minister in Winston Churchill's war cabinet during World War II. He was elected Labour Party leader in 1935 and won a lan
137 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Clement Attlee →
Related Quotes
"… the Peace Treaties must be scrapped … I stand for no more war and no more secret diplomacy."
"You may produce a case here and there of abuse of the dole: you may produce an occasional man who marches with the un…"
"I think that the whole of the movement towards dictatorships in Europe has reached its highest point and that there i…"
"We have absolutely abandoned any idea of nationalist loyalty. We are deliberately putting a world order before our lo…"
"We are told in the White Paper that there is danger against which we have to guard ourselves. We do not think you can…"
"The nationalist and imperialist delusions that run through all this document are far more wild than any idealist drea…"
"Mr. Chamberlain's Budget was the natural expression of the character of the present Government. There was hardly any …"
"The Government has now resolved to enter upon an arms race, and the people will have to pay for their mistake in beli…"
"Socialism is not the invention of an individual. It is essentially the outcome of economic and social conditions. The…"
"May I recall here a thing that is not always remembered, that just as India owes her unity and freedom from external …"