": To be strong. A nation that is not ready to die for its liberties will lose them. To act quickly. Ten thousand airplanes built in time are better than fifty thousand after the battle. To direct opinion. A leader shows the way; he does not follow. To preserve a united country. Political parties are passengers aboard the same ship; if they wreck it, all will perish. To protect public opinion against the influences of foreign governments. To defend ideas is legitimate; to accept money from abroad for defending them is a crime. To punish immediately and severely any illegal violence. Incitement to illegal violence is a crime. To protect youth against teaching calculated to weaken the unity of the country. A state that does not try to preserve itself commits suicide. To demand that those who govern lead upright lives. Vice of any kind gives a foothold to the enemy. To believe passionately in the ideas and in the way of life for which you are fighting. It is faith that creates armies and even arms. Liberty deserves to be served with more passion than tyranny."
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Original Language: English
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pp. 179-180
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Maurois
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André Maurois
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