Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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“You seek up a big monster for him to fight your wars for you.”
Dave Matthews (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The harm that you do to others is the harm that you do to yourself and you cannot think then that you can cause wars in other parts of the world and destroy people and drone them without this having a terrible impact on your own soul and your own consciousness.”
Alice Walker (born 1944) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Poet, Author Alice Walker Meets the Inner Journey with Global Activism in "The Cushion in the Road" (May 28, 2013).
“Strange as these words may sound I often play with the idea that when all the social theories collapse and wars and revolutions leave humanity in utter gloom, the poet — whom Plato banned from his Republic — may rise up to save us all.”
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904–1991) said by 1991 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our policy so to do.”
James Monroe (1758–1831) said by 1831 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“#that we not leave them to themselves — they are unfit for self-government — and they would soon have anarchy and misrule over there worse than Spain's wars; and”
William McKinley (1843–1901) said by 1901 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Who brought this to pass? Who has brought the flaming imperial anger? Who has brought the army with drums and with kettle-drums? Barbarous kings. A gracious spring, turned to blood-ravenous autumn, A turmoil of wars-men, spread over the middle kingdom, Three hundred and sixty thousand, And sorrow, sorrow like rain.”
Ezra Pound (1885–1972) first seen 1915 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 'Lament of the Frontier Guard' (From Cathay, 1915)
“After any disturbance (such as two world wars coinciding with a period of growing economic and monetary incomprehensibility) we find our old concepts inadequate and look for new ones. But it unfortunately happens that the troubled times which produce an appetite for new ideas are the least propitious for clear thinking.”
Rebecca West (1892–1983) first seen 1981 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in The Sunday Telegraph, London (1981), and The Annual Obituary 1983 (1984) edited by Elizabeth Devine and Marion Stoker Morgan, p. 143
“Wars, both civil and foreign, I undertook throughout the world, on sea and land, and when victorious I spared all citizens who sued for pardon. The foreign nations which could with safety be pardoned I preferred to save rather than to destroy.”
Augustus (63 BC–14) said by 14 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Unless souls are saved, nothing is saved; there can be no world peace unless there is soul peace. World wars are only projections of the conflicts waged inside the souls of men and women, for nothing happens in the external world that has not first happened within a soul.”
Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) said by 1979 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Science as we know it is indeed a creation of the last three hundred years. It has been made in and by the world that took its settled shape about 1660, when Europe at last shook off the long nightmare of religious wars and settled into a life of inquisitive trade and industry. Science is embodied in those new societies; it has been made by them and has helped to make them.”
Jacob Bronowski (1908–1974) said by 1974 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“150 million people have been killed [by guns] since 2007 when Bernie voted to exempt the gun manufacturers from liability. More than all the wars including Vietnam from that point on.”
Joe Biden (born 1942) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 2020 South Carolina Democratic debate, , quoted in {{citation|date=2020-02-25|title=Biden Says Over 150 Million Americans Killed by Gun Violence Since 2007, Which Would Be Half of U.S. Population
“As your Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to use force to defend the vital interests of the American people and our allies around the world when necessary. The central, indispensable mission of the Department of Defense is to deter aggression from our enemies and, if required, to fight and win wars to keep America safe.”
“We learned a horrible lesson after Vietnam, when the harmful effects of exposure to Agent Orange sometimes took years to manifest, and too many veterans were left unable to access the care they needed. I refuse to repeat that mistake when it comes to the veterans of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
“My soul, there is a country Far beyond the stars Where stands a wingèd sentry All skillful in the wars: There, above noise and danger, Sweet Peace is crowned with smiles, And One born in a manger Commands the beauteous files.”
Henry Vaughan (1621–1695) said by 1695 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was a witness of two civil wars and their ghastly and tragic consequences, and I learnt, as never before, to value the freedom of British political traditions.”
Hugh Gaitskell (1906–1963) first seen 1934 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Chatham News (28 December 1934), quoted in Philip Williams, Hugh Gaitskell: A Political Biography (1979), p. 59
“I am not from your world or this one; I was born on the Sun. Sometimes our world becomes overcrowded because our people live so long. Our people are almost free of wars and illness, and sometimes our government officials send colonies to neighboring worlds.”
Cyrano de Bergerac (1619–1655) said by 1655 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Osama Bin Laden is dead? Oh my God, that was so easy! And it only took two trillion dollars, two wars and too many good men.”
Christopher Titus (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Seriously!, this is a DVD! I need dinosaurs, thunder, race wars, something! Dammit, I gotta sell this motherfucker.... 36.63.”
Zach Galifianakis (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He does not see what the British have against the Russians. Britain and Russia have been on the same side in all the wars he knows of since 1854. The Russians have never threatened to invade Britain. Why then are the British siding with the Americans, who behave like bullies in Europe as all over the world? It is not as though the British actually like the Americans. — Chapter 10, page 83.”
J. M. Coetzee (born 1940) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But what most oppressed them was that they had two wars at once, and has thus reached a pitch of frenzy which no one would have believed possible if he had heard of it before it had come to pass.”
Thucydides (461–395 BC) said by 395 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“After the wars and the killings had ended, when usually there survived only some boys, some women, and children, these survivors were distributed among the Christians to be slaves.”
Bartolomé de las Casas (1484–1566) said by 1566 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I would say that we are the only defenders left of liberty in a world of Fascists. ... these fascists and communists are the successors today of the wars of the sects.”
Stanley Baldwin (1867–1947) first seen 1931 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Conversation with Thomas Jones (27 February 1934), quoted in Thomas Jones, A Diary with Letters. 1931-1950 (1954), p. 124
“He was a quiet, gentle man, a man who loved peace (his country had suffered much from the wars of his predecessor), he behaved graciously toward everyone, humble and great alike. Never high-handed, he always sought advice in the kingdom’s affairs from serious, experienced people. Just why his nephew killed him was never precisely explained.”
Constantine P. Cavafy (1863–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“That was a time when only the dead could smile, delivered from their wars, and the sign, the soul, of Leningrad dangled outside its prison-house...”
Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966) said by 1966 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Fight the fighters, not their wars.”
“At least graffiti has a fighting chance of meaning a little more to people. Graffiti has been used to start revolutions, stop wars and generally is the voice of people who aren't listened to. Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. and even if you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they're having a piss.”
“President Bush and thousands of others, politicians and preachers, are making speeches and lying in their teeth, all agreeing that they can't explain such tragedies, but they're just certain a loving God had nothing to do with the massacre. They say, evil did it, like Star Wars, some evil force.”
Fred Phelps (1929–2014) said by 2014 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Tell me the wars you're fighting Behind the smile you're hiding All of the things I know you want to say We tried our best to find us But there are no lights to guide us I can't sleep beside a stranger now And piece by piece we fall apart With every beat slows down my heart.”
James Blunt (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The critical oil and natural gas producing region that we fought so many wars to try and protect our economy from the adverse impact of losing that supply or having it available only at very high prices.”
John R. Bolton (born 1948) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: John Bolton Admits All Of These Wars Are For Oil, interview on Fox News, October 22, 2011
“As we see, this is an illegal state; it is a cancerous entity and the root of all the crises and wars and cannot be a factor in bringing about a true and just peace in this region. Therefore, we cannot acknowledge the existence of a state called Israel, not even far in the future, as some people have tried to suggest. Time does not cancel the legitimacy of the Palestinian claim.”
Hassan Nasrallah (1960–2024) first seen 2000 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On Egyptian television (6 February 2000)
“Fucking Jews... Jews are responsible for all wars in the world.”
Mel Gibson (born 1956) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California (July 28, 2006) after pulled over for speeding and drunk driving. as quoted in Gibsons Anti Semitic Tirade Alleged Coverup, TMZ (July 28, 2006).
“We want to find [life]. Absolutely. And even now it's really disappointing when you think that, if there is extraterrestrial life, it’s probably bacteria and microbial life. Because you want Star Wars. I want to meet Spock. I think that, as intellectual beings, we fantasize about meeting other intellects similar to our own. It's just a basic human desire.”
Claudia Alexander (1959–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is better to believe in men too rashly, and regret, than believe too meanly. Men could be more than they are, if they would try for it. He has shown them that. How many have tried, because of him? Not only those I have seen; there will be men to come. Those who look in mankind only for their own littleness, and make them believe in that, kill more than he ever will in all his wars.”
Mary Renault (1905–1983) said by 1983 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The enormous amount of financial resources and creative energy that nations have spent on wars and weapons could have been redirected to curing deadly diseases, feeding the hungry, eliminating poverty, promoting art and culture, investing in renewable clean energy, and solving a host of other important challenges facing humanity.”
Newton Lee wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Moon landing was a huge challenge that was solved by human perseverance and ingenuity, in spite of the mere 50% chance of success according to American astronaut Neil Armstrong. Imagine what else we can accomplish if America and the whole world is determined to eradicate wars, diseases, pollutions, global warming, poverty, homelessness, world hunger, and other human sufferings.”
Newton Lee wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is high time we treated drug abuse and terrorism as diseases instead of wars -- curing the patients rather than killing them.”
Newton Lee wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Super longevity motivates people to think very long-term, protect the environment, recycle, prevent wars and destructions, and do everything possible to achieve a better quality of life instead of leaving a big mess to the next generation to fix.”
Newton Lee wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Is gene editing less ethical than human beings killing one another at wars and destroying wildlife on earth? A biomass study showed that humankind represents just 0.01% of all living things on the planet, and yet humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of all plants.”
Newton Lee wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the early 1990s Muslims were engaged in more intergroup violence than were non-Muslims, and two-thirds to three-quarters of intercivilizational wars were between Muslims and non-Muslims. Islam's borders are bloody and so are its innards.”
Samuel P. Huntington (1927–2008) said by 2008 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Earth has never been in better shape…I know — climate change and a polarised political thing — but there are no more world wars. I mean, imagine what London looked like 60 years ago. This is the best of times. Unemployment in the United States is the lowest it’s been in 50 years — 5-0…More people are working. More people are making more money. Unions are more powerful." (2019)”
Gene Simmons (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The legacy of modernity is a legacy of fratricidal wars, devastating "development," cruel "civilization," and previously unimagined violence. Erich Auerbach once wrote that tragedy is the only genre that can properly claim realism in Western literature, and perhaps this is true precisely because of the tragedy Western modernity has imposed on the world.”
Antonio Negri (1933–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All wars today tend to be netwars.”
Antonio Negri (1933–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“God has far better things to do than creating self-important little species such as ours. He's got wars, deaths, disasters and diseases to ignore for starters. And a fair bit of not-exist-ing-at-all to be getting on with.”
Charlie Brooker (born 1971) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Guardian, 4 December 2006, When it comes to psychics, my stance is hardcore: they must die alone in windowless cells
“If you could make people with ten-point-higher IQs, we'd probably have fewer wars.”
James D. Watson (1928–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Even galaxy-spanning anarchist utopias of stupefying full-spectrum civilisational power have turf wars within their unacknowledged militaries.”
Iain Banks (1954–2013) said by 2013 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I is here standing outside the United Nations of Benetton. Which is where representatives from the three corners of the world come to end wars, international drug trafficking, and everything else that is a bit of a laugh.”
Sacha Baron Cohen (born 1971) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "War" (28 February 2003), Da Ali G Show.
“I had the honor to serve at the siege of Arras. Where I received a thrust through the throat, the second of the serious wounds that convinced me, along with all else I had seen of wars miseries and horrors, that Mars was the stupidest of the gods.”
Philip José Farmer (1918–2009) said by 2009 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is no doubt that the United States and Germany had their own interests in igniting wars in Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia.”
Radovan Karadžić (born 1945) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Radovan Karadžić speaking in May 2011 during a magazine interview given from Scheveningen Prison, The Hague. — "Radovan Karadzic: The other side to the Bosnian story", Politics First (May 2011).
“We are facing an external attack against us, which is more dangerous than any other previous wars... We are dealing with those who are extremists, who only know the language of killing and criminality.”
Bashar al-Assad (born 1965) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by Holly Yan et. al. Al-Assad touts plan for resolution, says enemies of Syria 'will go to hell', CNN (Jan. 17, 2013)
“We still have wars and we still have poverty — as long as these things exist, there's always going to be something to do. But that cannot distract from the fact that we're on the way.”
Harry Belafonte (1927–2023) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview excerpted in "Singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte dies at 96", NBC News (25 April 2023)