"War being established as a recognized institution to be resorted to when Governments quarrel, the people are more or less prepared. They quite willingly delude themselves in order to justify their own actions. They are anxious to find an excuse for displaying their patriotism, or they are disposed to seize the opportunity for the excitement and new life of adventure which war opens out to them. So there is a sort of national wink, everyone goes forward, and the individual, in his turn, takes up lying as a patriotic duty. In the low standard of morality which prevails in war-time, such a practice appears almost innocent."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Members of the Parliament of the United KingdomSocial activistsPacifistsLabour Party (UK) politiciansGovernment ministers of the United Kingdom
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_Ponsonby%2C_1st_Baron_Ponsonby_of_Shulbrede
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Arthur Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede (16 February 1871 - 23 March 1946) was a British politician, writer, and social activist.
29 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Arthur Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede →
Related Quotes
"It is the intention of His Majesty's Government to lay on the table of both Houses of Parliament every treaty, when s…"
"Resolutions expressing Parliamentary approval of every Treaty before ratification would be a very cumbersome form of …"
"When war is declared, Truth is the first casualty. books.google"
"The object of this volume is not to cast fresh blame on authorities and individuals, nor is it to expose one nation m…"
"Falsehood is a recognized and extremely useful weapon in warfare, and every country uses it quite deliberately to dec…"
"Lying, as we all know, does not take place only in war-time. Man, it has been said, is not "a veridical animal," but …"
"People must never be allowed to become despondent; so victories must be exaggerated and defeats, if not concealed, at…"
"The use of the weapon of falsehood is more necessary in a country where military conscription is not the law of the l…"
"A Government which has decided on embarking on the hazardous and terrible enterprise of war must at the outset presen…"
"I do not desire to give myself any fresh political label. Though the formation of the Union of Democratic Control it …"