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Quote by Abhijit Naskar

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World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

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Abhijit Naskar

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“And mind you, Hermine, even though such abusive articles cannot annoy me any longer, they often sadden me all the same. Two-thirds of my countrymen read this kind of newspaper, read things written in this tone every morning and every night, are every day worked up and admonished and incited, and robbed of their peace of mind and better feelings by them, and the end and aim of it all is to have the war over again, the next war that draws nearer and nearer, and it will be a good deal more horrible than the last. All that is perfectly clear and simple. Any one could comprehend it and reach the same conclusion after a moment's reflection. But nobody wants to. Nobody wants to avoid the next war, nobody wants to spare himself and his children the next holocaust if this be the cost. To reflect for one moment, to examine himself for a while and ask what share he has in the world's confusion and wickedness-look you, nobody wants to do that. And so there's no stopping it, and the next war is being pushed on with enthusiasm by thousands upon thousands day by day. It has paralysed me since I knew it, and brought me to despair. I have no country and no ideals left. All that comes to nothing but decorations for the gentlemen by whom the next slaughter is ushered in. There is no sense in thinking or saying or writing anything of human import, to bother one's head with thoughts of goodness for two or three men who do that, there are thousands of papers, periodicals, speeches, meetings in public and in private, that make the opposite their daily endeavor and succeed in it too.”

“Convictions are infectious, and people can make others convinced of almost anything. We are typically ready to believe that our ways, our beliefs, our religion, our politics are better than theirs, or that our God-given rights trump theirs or that our interests require defensive or pre-emptive strikes against them. In the end, it is ideas for which people kill each other. It is because of ideas about what the others are like, or who we are, or what our interests or rights require, that we go to war, or oppress others with a good conscience, or even sometimes acquiesce in our own oppression by others. When these beliefs involve the sleep of reason, critical awakening is the antidote.”

“Під час війн і переворотів читач залишає вдома цілу бібліотеку. Улюблену книжку бере в мішку в дорогу, але і її мусить невдовзі покинути в придорожній корчмі чи в лісі на роздоріжжі. Бібліотека контрабандистів була живим свідченням цього процесу й пересторогою. Воєнний читач має розраховувати передовсім на свою пам'ять. У кінці шляху в нього залишиться тільки те, що він винесе в пам'яті.”

“But what choice does it have? As long as Israel is perceived by its enemies to be vulnerable, many Arabs and radical Muslims will continue to make Israelis kill them... When Israeli soldiers kill Arabs by accident, they mourn—and it causes psychological damage to those soldiers, and to all of Israeli society. The wars the Arab states have instigated are bloody and cruel, and a heavy price is paid by Israel, even when it wins. And win it must, because one loss means the loss of Israel.”

“Що в цей час відбувалось із мешканцями міст? Із тими, які традиційно гидують кров’ю? Бійню своїх співвітчизників вони сприймають з відразою та обуренням, приділяючи достатньо уваги філософським роздумам, історичним паралелям і різноманітним поясненням. Але, коли у ЗМІ з’являються світлини, на яких знавіснілим злочинцем, жорстоким убивцею, є хтось із їхнього народу, а жертва — з іншого, ось тоді наші громадяни (байдуже, чи йдеться про журналістів, політиків, інтелектуалів чи сантехніків) передусім заперечують очевидний факт, стверджуючи, що побачена ними світлина насправді вигадка, монтаж та ворожа пропаганда. А коли вже неможливо заперечувати здійснені жорстокі вбивства, тоді вони починають закидати, що злочин скоїли російські або англійські найманці, лише «аби нам нашкодити».”

“You're not going to end it with me are you, Harry? Not this time?' 'No, I'm not' he replied without hesitation. 'Not this time'. Emma nodded slowly. 'I thought not'. Then she looked past him, avoiding his eye until she said 'then I must. I'm sorry Harry but I can't be your mistress. I could do it in France when everyday could have been our last. but not back here. Not in London. You understand that don't you?' and it was absolutely no consolation to Harry Walsh that he did.”