15 Highly Germane & Timely Quotes from Mark Twain, on Patriotism and Other Matters.

Here are 15 quotes that strike me as extremely timely, incredibly germane, and very reassuring to me as one whose goals are contrary to the direction of the current Administration. 

Mark Twain has been one of my heroes since adolescence; Many of my opinions I got direct from him.  One of the greatest successes of my life was when, in college, I won an award for an essay on his views of religion and politics.

He's one of my top 10 all-time favorite writers---not just his novels, though those as well, but also including his essays and newspaper publications on politics and journalism.  I found all of these at Barbara Schmidt's wonderful and beautiful site, www.twainquotes.com. The photographs and memorabilia from the Dave Thomson collection are alone worth a look. 

PATRIOTISM

1.Man is the only Patriot. He sets himself apart in his own country, under his own flag, and sneers at the other nations, and keeps multitudinous uniformed assassins on hand at heavy expense to grab slices of other people's countries, and keep them from grabbing slices of his. And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood of his hands and works for "the universal brotherhood of man"- with his mouth.
- "The Lowest Animal" [quoted here]

2. To be a patriot, one had to say, and keep on saying, " Our country, right or wrong," and urge on the little war. Have you not perceived that that phrase is an insult to the nation.
; - "Glances at History," 1906  [quoted here]

3.  For in a republic, who is "the Country"? Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. Who, then, is "the Country"? Is it the newspaper? is it the pulpit? Is it the school superintendent? Why, these are mere parts of the country, not the whole of it; they have not command, they have only their little share in the command. They are but one in a thousand; it is in the thousand that command is lodged; they must determine what is right and what is wrong; they must decide who is a patriot and who isn't.
Who are the thousand--that is to say, who are "the Country"? In a monarchy, the king and his family are the country; in a republic it is the common voice of the people. Each of you, for himself, by himself and on his own responsibility, must speak. And it is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or the empty catch-phrasesof politicians. Each must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, and which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may. If you alone of all the nation shall decide on way, and that way be the right way accordng to your convictions of the right, you have done your duty by yourself and by your country--hold up your head. You have nothing to be ashamed of.
- "Papers of the Adam Family" [quoted here]

4.  ...the citizen who thinks he sees that the commonwealth's political clothes are worn out, and yet holds his peace and does not agitate for a new suit is disloyal; he is a traitor.
        - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court  [quoted here] 


WAR

5.  An inglorious peace is better than a dishonorable war.
  - "Glances at History," 1906 [quoted here]

6. Statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.
  - "Chronicle of Young Satan"  [quoted here]


7.  I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.
        - quoted in A Pen Warmed Up in Hell  [quoted here] 


CONGRESS (AND OTHER LEGISLATORS)

8.  Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.  But I repeat myself.
        - Mark Twain, a Biography  [quoted here]

9.  I think I can say, and say with pride that we have some legislatures that bring higher prices than any in the world.
  - Speech 7/4/1873 [quoted here]

10.  ...it's so hard to find men of a so high type of morals that they'll stay bought.
  - Notebook for Aug. 1890-June 1891 [quoted here]


A CERTAIN PRESIDENT

11.  We are insane, each in our own way, and with insanity goes irresponsibility. Theodore the man is sane; in fairness we ought to keep in mind that Theodore, as statesman and politician, is insane and irresponsible.
        - Letter to J. H. Twichell, 2/16/1905  [quoted here]

12. Mr. Roosevelt is the Tom Sawyer of the political world of the twentieth century; always showing off; always hunting for a chance to show off; in his frenzied imagination the Great Republic is a vast Barnum circus with him for a clown and the whole world for audience; he would go to Halifax for half a chance to show off and he would go to hell for a whole one.
        - Mark Twain in Eruption [quoted here]  

CORRUPTION OF THE PRESS

13. Journalism is the one solitary respectable profession which honors theft (when committed in the pecuniary interest of a journal,) & admires the thief....However, these same journals combat despicable crimes quite valiantly--when committed in other quarters.
        - Letter to W. D. Howells, 10/30/1880 [quoted here] 


THE MALLEABILITY OF PUBLIC OPINION

14.  In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.
- Autobiography of Mark Twain  [Quoted here]

RELIGION

15.  So much blood has been shed...because of an omission from the Gospel: "Ye shall be indifferent as to what your neighbor's religion is." Not merely tolerant of it, but indifferent to it. Divinity is claimed for many religions; but no religion is great enough or divine enough to add that new law to its code.
- Mark Twain, a Biography  [quoted here]

 

Comments

[Jen]

I linked to this through Friday Fifteen. I loved your list today! Mark Twain is, indeed, one of the wise and witty pundits of all time.

My favorite is the "Suppose you're an idiot..." quote.

[Jen]

I linked to this through Friday Fifteen. I loved your list today! Mark Twain is, indeed, one of the wise and witty pundits of all time.

My favorite is the "Suppose you're an idiot..." quote.

[Jenn]

Thanks for the comment on my 15 things (which is how I ended up here).
I loved these quotes. I'm not a big fan of the current administration either.

[jenn in holland]

Hear! Hear! Mark Twain!
I love this list of quotes, and oh so fitting for today. I am quite fond of the insanity of a president quote. Yes, that's my favorite one.

[Cassie]

I love Mark Twain! These are especially good quotes, many I hadn't seen before!