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Your Quotes for 24 October 2005 - Nations

The Charter of the United Nations was adopted on this day in 1945, and today is United Nations Day. The preamble to that charter pledged to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, ... reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, ... establish conditions under which justice can be maintained and promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom." Some may argue that the UN isn't the right organization, but I can't help think it would have been worse without it and there's clearly a lot left to do. Here, then, some thought on nations.

One of the great attractions of patriotism - it fulfills our worst wishes. In the person of our nation we are able, vicariously, to bully and cheat. Bully and cheat, what's more, with a feeling that we are profoundly virtuous.
     - Aldous Leonard Huxley, 1894 - 1963

The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations.
     - David Friedman

Madness is rare in individuals - but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule.
     - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

All nations have present, or past, or future reasons for thinking themselves incomparable.
     - Paul Ambroise Valéry, 1871 - 1945

A visitor from Mars could easily pick out the civilized nations. They have the best implements of war.
     - Herbert V. Prochnow, 1897 - 1998

It is not easy to see how the more extreme forms of nationalism can long survive when men have seen the Earth in its true perspective as a single small globe against the stars.
     - Arthur C. Clarke

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