WIST Quotations

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1747 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:40:42 +0000

One to destroy, is Murder by the Law,
And Gibbets keep the lifted Hand in Awe.
To murder Thousands, takes a specious Name,
War’s glorious Art, and gives immortal Fame.
O great Alliance! O divine Renown!
With Death and Pestilence to share the Crown!
When Men extol a wild Destroyer’s Name,
Earth’s Builder and Preserver they blaspheme.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1747 ed.)
(Source)

This lengthy poem is not original to Franklin, but was penned by English poet Edward Young (1683-1765) in 1728, as the 7th Satire in his collection of poems, Love of Fame, the Universal Passion, l. 53ff, dedicated to Robert Walpole. Interestingly, Franklin reordered the passage; in Young's original the two quatrains are reversed. Franklin also changed the passage "dearth and pestilence" to "death and pestilence."

Gilman, Charlotte -- Herland, ch. 8 (1915)

Dave — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:42:05 +0000

Patriotism, red hot, is compatible with the existence of a neglect of national interests, a dishonesty, a cold indifference to the suffering of millions. Patriotism is largely pride, and very largely combativeness. Patriotism generally has a chip on its shoulder.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) American sociologist, writer, reformer, feminist
Herland, ch. 8 (1915)
(Source)

Eisenhower, Dwight David -- Speech, American Newspaper Publishers Assoc, New York City (25 Apr 1946)

Dave — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 22:16:09 +0000

Belligerence is the hallmark of insecurity — the secure nation does not need threat to maintain its position.

Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) American general, US President (1953-61)
Speech, American Newspaper Publishers Assoc, New York City (25 Apr 1946)
(Source)

The first part of the above was a common phrase of Eisenhower's.

Armstrong, Karen -- NOW Interview with Bill Moyers, PBS (1 Mar 2002)

Dave — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 14:05:02 +0000

There are some forms of religion that must make God weep. There are some forms of religion that are bad, just as there’s bad cooking or bad art or bad sex, you have bad religion too. Religion that has concentrated on egotism, that’s concentrated on belligerence rather than compassion.

Karen Armstrong (b. 1944) British author, comparative religion scholar
NOW Interview with Bill Moyers, PBS (1 Mar 2002)
(Source)