Monday 11 March 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY: On patriotism

“Each of you, for himself, by himself and on his own responsibility, 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…”
            - Mark Twain

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I noted in your (+other authors)book, "Twisting of the Treaty", that none other than Winston Peters is displayed and labelled a patriot! Don't think Twain would have agreed with someone so dishonourable and dishonest could be a noble honourable patriot.
Peter

Peter Cresswell said...

No. You're right. I'd like to disavow all responsibility for that caption.

I blame the editor.

Mind you, while I'm in general agreement with much that the other authors say, there are plenty of other things in there too with which I disagree.

I suggested to the editor we include a bit of boiler plate somewhat along the lines we used to use in The Free Radical Magazine: "he contributors appearance here in no way indicates agreement with all the views of the magazine, or with each other. Or vice versa."