Martijn > Recent Status Updates

“It is also important for the State to make its rule seem inevitable; even if its reign is disliked, it will then be met with passive resignation, as witness the familiar coupling of “death and taxes.””

“No societies are governed by the people, by a majority; all societies, including societies called democratic, are ruled by a minority. But the ruling minority always seeks to justify and legitimize its rule in part through a formula, without which the social structure would disintegrate. The positive significance of democratic theory is as a political formula of this kind.”

“People who are living in this world of ‘myths,’ are secure from all refutation… No failure proves anything against Socialism since the latter has become a work of preparation (for revolution); if they are checked, it merely proves that the apprenticeship has been insufficient; they must set to work again with more courage, persistence, and confidence than before…”

“The idealists, utopians, and demagogues always tell us that justice and the good society will be achieved by the absolute triumph of their doctrine and their side. The facts show us that the absolute triumph of any side and any doctrine whatsoever can only mean tyranny.”

“[Mosca] finds that the possession of certain qualities is useful in all societies for gaining admittance to the ruling class, or for staying within it. Deep wisdom, altruism, readiness at self sacrifice, are not among these qualities, but, on the contrary, are usually hindrances.”

“…and as Livy says […], ‘Not one of them who were so contumacious together, but apart began to fear, and that fear made him obedient.’”

“Hitler was a mere disciple, but he had all the luck: his murder camps have made him famous, whereas no one has any interest in ours at all.”

“Even in 1943 tens of thousands of refugees from the Soviet provinces trailed along behind the retreating German army - anything was better than remaining under Communism.”

“Lump all the blame on Stalin? Have you no sense of humor? If Stalin committed all these errors - where were you at the time, you ruling millions?”

“The proverb says: “Freedom spoils, and lack of freedom teaches.””

“Through it’s laws the Stalinist Power said to the thieves clearly: Do not steal from me! Steal from private persons! You see, private property is a belch from the past.”

“On arrival they were tipped into big pits that had already been prepared and buried alive. Not out of brutality, no. It had been ascertained that when dragging and lifting them, it was much easier to cope with living people than with corpses. This work went on for many nights at Adak. And that is how the moral-political unity of our Party was achieved.”

“Europe, of course, won’t believe it. Not until Europe itself serves time will she believe it. Europe has believed our glossy magazines and can’t get anything else into her head.”

“Throughout our conversation, Bernays conveyed his hallucination of democracy: A highly educated class of opinion-molding tacticians is continuously at work, analyzing the social terrain and adjusting the mental scenery from which the public mind, with its limited intellect, derives its opinions.”

“If black astonished head lice are crawling on the face of your neighbor on the bunks, it is a sure sign of death.”

The tank veered, but the edge of its track crushed him nevertheless. The broken man lay writhing, bloody foam coming from his mouth. [..] He preferred a soldier’s death to being hanged in a dungeon.

“And if we have to perish
In mines and prisons wet,
Our cause will ever find renown
In future generations yet.”

“If a man is a gentleman, he knows quite enough, and if he is not a gentleman, whatever he knows is bad for him.”

“Als iemand rijk, jong, mooi en geacht is, dan is de vraag of hij daarbij ook opgewekt is, als we willen beoordelen of hij gelukkig is. Omgekeerd geldt echter, als hij opgewekt is, dan maakt het niet uit of hij jong, oud, arm of rijk is: hij is gelukkig. - We moeten op welk moment dan ook de opgewektheid verwelkomen, want ze komt nooit ongelegen.”

“Eens heeft de duivel aldus tot mij gesproken: ‘Ook God heeft zijn hel: dat is zijn liefde tot de mensen.’
En onlangs hoorde ik hem dit woord zeggen: ‘God is dood; aan zijn medelijden met de mensen is God gestorven.’”