--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The art of plucking the goose without…" description: "\"The art of plucking the goose without making it cry out has been developed to a high state of perfection at the hands of the war makers.\" — Frederic C...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/frederic-c-howe-53002_art_the-art-of-plucking-the-goose-without-ma_318546.png" --- # The art of plucking the goose without making it cry out… ![“The art of plucking the goose without making it cry out has been developed to a high state of perfection at the hands of the war makers.” quote by Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/frederic-c-howe-53002_art_the-art-of-plucking-the-goose-without-ma_318546.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/frederic-c-howe-53002_art_the-art-of-plucking-the-goose-without-ma_318546.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/frederic-c-howe-53002_art_the-art-of-plucking-the-goose-without-ma_318546.png) > “The art of plucking the goose without making it cry out has been developed to a high state of perfection at the hands of the war makers.” [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War profiteers have refined exploitation, making suffering a systematic, efficient process. **In simple terms:** War makes cruelty efficient. Key Takeaway Recognize and resist systemic exploitation. Themes war exploitation economics ethics Mood critical reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - policy debates - historical analysis - activist campaigns - educational curricula Key Concepts capitalism military‑industrial complex human cost Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms enable efficient exploitation in war? - How can societies hold profiteers accountable? A Different Perspective Complexities of wartime economies can obscure individual accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest amount of feathers with the least possible amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-colbert/the-art-of-taxation-consists-in-so-plucking-the-goose-as-to-obtain-2/) Jean-Baptiste Colbert > [The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-art-of-taxation-consists-in-so-plucking-the-goose-as-to-obtain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Here's the new art of the twenty-first century: the art of curating, the art of plucking all the good stuff from a superabundance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/here-s-the-new-art-of-the-twenty-first-century-the-art-of-curating/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [“The art of taxation consists of plucking the goose so as to obtain the most feathers with the least hissing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-colbert/the-art-of-taxation-consists-of-plucking-the-goose-so-as-to-obtain/) Jean-Baptiste Colbert > [I came across Mother Goose, so I turned her loose, she was screaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/i-came-across-mother-goose-so-i-turned-her-loose-she-was-screaming/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [No more I do, your Majesty. But what's that got to do with it? I might as well die on a wild goose chase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-more-i-do-your-majesty-but-what-s-that-got-to-do-with-it-i-might-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even if your goose habitually lays golden eggs, it will still be cooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/even-if-your-goose-habitually-lays-golden-eggs-it-will-still-be-cooked/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“They would set their course toward it, seeing it grow bigger silently and imperceptibly, a motionless growth--and then, when they were at it, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/they-would-set-their-course-toward-it-seeing-it-grow-bigger-silently/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [Quill: An instrument of torture yielded by a goose and commonly weilded by as ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/quill-an-instrument-of-torture-yielded-by-a-goose-and-commonly/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [It is a blind goose that cometh to the fox's sermon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/it-is-a-blind-goose-that-cometh-to-the-fox-s-sermon/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase - that's what wild geese are for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-refuse-to-go-on-an-occasional-wild-goose-chase-that-s-what-wild/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [GOOSE, n. A bird that supplies quills for writing. These, by some occult process of nature, are penetrated and suffused with various degrees of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/goose-n-a-bird-that-supplies-quills-for-writing-these-by-some-occult/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Don't kill the golden goose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mclaren/don-t-kill-the-golden-goose/) [Malcolm Mclaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mclaren/) > [I, Geric-Sinath of Gerhard, declare that you're beautiful and you're perfect and I'll slay any man who tries to take you from my side.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/i-geric-sinath-of-gerhard-declare-that-you-re-beautiful-and-you-re/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [While man exclaims, "See all things for my use!" "See man for mine!" replies a pamper'd goose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/while-man-exclaims-see-all-things-for-my-use-see-man-for-mine-replies/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) ## More by Frederic C. Howe > [People do not want war. War springs from causes wholly outside the lives, interests, and feelings of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-c-howe/people-do-not-want-war-war-springs-from-causes-wholly-outside-the/) [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) > [These are the rules of big business. They have superseded the teachings of our parents and are reducible to a simple maxim: Get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-c-howe/these-are-the-rules-of-big-business-they-have-superseded-the/) [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) > [War demands sacrifice of the people. It gives only suffering in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-c-howe/war-demands-sacrifice-of-the-people-it-gives-only-suffering-in-return/) [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) > [It is only through an abandonment of the idea that those entrusted with power have an exclusive right to decide upon war, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-c-howe/it-is-only-through-an-abandonment-of-the-idea-that-those-entrusted/) [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) > [In the days of peace every precaution should be taken to insure that there are no forces making for war. Just as we now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-c-howe/in-the-days-of-peace-every-precaution-should-be-taken-to-insure-that/) [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) > [These are the rules of big business...Get a monopoly; let society work for you; and remember that the best of all business is politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-c-howe/these-are-the-rules-of-big-business-get-a-monopoly-let-society-work/) [Frederic C. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) [Explore all 7 Frederic C. Howe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-c-howe/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The art of plucking the goose without making it cry out has been developed to a high state of perfection at the hands of the war makers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederic C. 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