Calculations Quote by Arundhati Roy
“Mao said he was prepared to have millions of Chinese people perish in a nuclear war as long as China survived... I'm beginning to find it more and more sick that only humans make it into our calculations... Annihilate life on earth, but save the nation... what's the subject heading? Stupidity or Insanity?”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview, 2008, Arundhati Roy on nuclear policy
The quote highlights the moral paradox of valuing a nation over humanity, suggesting extreme nationalism can justify catastrophic loss of life.
In simple terms: Prioritizing a nation over all life is morally absurd.
Key Takeaway
Question the ethics of extreme nationalism.
Themes
ethics
nationalism
war
humanity
politics
Mood
critical
somber
Type
ethical
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- activism
- education
- peacebuilding
- human rights advocacy
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
political theory
existential risk
Questions to Reflect On
- Is any nation worth the cost of global annihilation?
- How can societies balance security with universal human rights?
A Different Perspective
The perspective may overlook the complexity of geopolitical survival strategies.
![“Mao Zedong himself would have realized that the Communist Party has become weak. “All reactionaries are paper tigers,” he said. And Mao said something else: repression breeds revolution. “[T]he Chinese,” he told us, “never submit to tyrannical rule but invariably use revolutionary means to…” quote by Gordon G. Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/987/gordon-g-chang-10335_revolution_mao-zedong-himself-would-have-realized-t_682332.jpg)
