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Our way of getting an army able to fight the German army…

“Our way of getting an army able to fight the German army is to declare war on Germany just as if we had such an army, and then trust to the appalling resultant peril and disaster to drive us into wholesale enlistment.” quote by George Bernard Shaw
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“Our way of getting an army able to fight the German army is to declare war on Germany just as if we had such an army, and then trust to the appalling resultant peril and disaster to drive us into wholesale enlistment.”

George Bernard Shaw

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

We enlist by fabricating a threat, then use the resulting danger to force recruitment.

In simple terms: War is started to create its own soldiers.

Key Takeaway

Beware of manufactured crises.

Themes

politics war propaganda

Mood

critical skeptical

Type

political commentary

When to use this quote

  • military recruitment
  • political campaigns
  • media narratives

Key Concepts

sociology history

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do leaders manipulate fear?
  • What safeguards prevent false wars?
A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex causes.

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