James Connolly Quotes

“It would be well to realize that the talk of ‘humane methods of warfare’, of the ‘rules of civilized warfare’, and all such homage to the finer sentiments of the race are hypocritical and unreal, and only intended for the consumption of stay-at-homes. There are no humane methods of warfare, there is no such thing as civilized warfare; all warfare is inhuman, all warfare is barbaric; the first blast of the bugles of war ever sounds for the time being the funeral knell of human progress… What lover of humanity can view with anything but horror the prospect of this ruthless destruction of human life. Yet this is war: war for which all the jingoes are howling, war to which all the hopes of the world are being sacrificed, war to which a mad ruling class would plunge a mad world.”
― James Connolly

“As long as I live I will have no rest, only working, educating, organising, and fighting to destroy the forces that produce poverty.”
― James Connolly

“If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you! We will defy you! Do your worst!”
― James Connolly

“Moral—Don't be "practical" in politics. To be practical in that sense means that you have schooled yourself to think along the lines, and in the grooves which those who rob you would desire you to think.”
― James Connolly