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Related, on a broader level: “Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god. Thoughts of
by Rygian 2y ago
Related, on a broader level: “Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god.
Thoughts of a Biologist” (Jean Rostand)
http://evene.lefigaro.fr/citation/tue-homme-assassin-tue-milliers-hommes-conquerant-tue-tous-dieu-51714.php http://evene.lefigaro.fr/citation/tue-homme-assassin-tue-mil...
- vidarh 2y agoVariants of that is older than Rostand [1] > To sate the lust of power; more horrid still, The foulest stain and scandal of our nature Became its boast — One Murder made a Villain, Millions a Hero. — Princes were privileg’d To kill, and numbers sanctified the crime. Ah! why will Kings forget that they are Men? -- Beilby Porteus (1759) [1] https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/21/death-statistic/ https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/21/death-statistic/
- xk_id 2y ago> numbers sanctify the crime That’s a gorgeous quote! Something Lord Henry in “The picture of Dorian Gray” would say.
- tuyiown 2y agoMy middle school was named after Jean Rostand, and we never heard that quote somehow, this is hilarious.
- mncharity 2y agoA variant I fuzzily recall (regards South Asia banditry?), which retains the TFA's power shift, is something vaguely like "kill one and they will hang you, kill a hundred and they will negotiate with you".