By now, most people have realized not just the futility, but also the insanity and cruelty of war, but they cannot rid themselves of it because they are looking for the cure in the general decisions of the state rather than in their own actions, i.e. the actions of individuals.
It is impossible not to accept that the 19th century is striving to step onto a new path. The people of this century are beginning to understand that there must be laws and courts for nations and that the crimes of one nation against another, despite happening on a grand scale, are no less hateful than the crimes of one individual against another.
— Quetelet
If one studies the various human activities not merely superficially, but thoroughly, one cannot but make a sad reflection on how many lives are lost for the continuation of the kingdom of evil in this world, and on how this evil is assisted above all by the institution of standing armies.
One’s surprise and feeling of sadness grows further at the thought that all this is unnecessary, that all this evil, so readily accepted by the vast majority of people, originates only from their foolishness, only from their allowing themselves to be exploited by a small number of cunning and depraved individuals.
— Patrice Larroque
The inhabitants of planet Earth exist in such a state of absurdity, foolishness and stupidity that every day one reads in the newspapers of civilized countries about diplomatic relations being discussed by heads of states, whose aims are alliances against an assumed enemy and the preparation of wars, during which the people allow their leaders to dispose of them like cattle being led to slaughter, seemingly unaware that the life of every individual is his own private property.
The inhabitants of this strange planet are all brought up with the conviction that there are nations, borders and standards, and everyone has such a weak sense of humaneness that this feeling completely disappears before the notion of the fatherland. Granted, if only our thinkers could all come to an agreement, this state of affairs could change, because no one wants war. But there are political unions whose result is the existence of millions of parasites, and it is these parasites who need war, and they are the ones who are preventing people from reaching concord.
— Flammarion
One way to kill a bear is to hang a heavy log over a tub of honey. The bear pushes the log away to get to the honey. The log returns and hits it, making the bear angry. The bear then pushes the log away with more strength, which only makes it hit the bear harder on its return. This continues until the log kills the bear. Is it really the case that humans cannot act more rationally than bears?
War is murder. And it does not matter how many people gather to commit murder or what they choose to call themselves, murder is still the worst sin in the world.
As long as we recognize the power of the state and its right to rule the people, to impose taxes, to establish courts and to punish, war will never end. War is the result of state power.
