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Samizdata quote of the day

· Slogans & Quotations

Weapons of mass destruction are a great force for human fellowship.

– Brian Micklethwait

April 30th, 2005 |

11 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • Brian Micklethwait
    April 30, 2005 at 4:28 pm

    Perhaps a brief explanation is in order.

    I have in mind relationships like the current one between India and Pakistan. It was very fraught not so long ago. But now that they are both armed with nuclear bombs, they are determined to get along with each other. They just can’t afford to be nasty to each any more.

    Recently they did something they haven’t done for a long time. They had a cricket match, in one of their countries. India, I think. (They have played each other in tournaments abroad, in fact they played against each other in England not so long ago. Justs the one game.)

    The 5 day tests ended 1-1 with one draw. And the one day series was keenly contested, being won by Pakistan 4-2 after losing the first two games. It sounds like it was great stuff.

    But cricket didn’t do this. It was merely the language in which these two nations expressed their need to get along. It was the bombs what did it.

    An armed society is a polite society, and politeness can often lead on to something more.

  • Matt McIntosh
    April 30, 2005 at 7:11 pm

    Spot-on as usual, Brian. This is, consequently, why I’m not especially worried about Iran getting nukes.

  • R C Dean
    April 30, 2005 at 7:28 pm

    Who would have thought that the old saw “an armed society is a polite society” was scalable?

  • Tatyana
    April 30, 2005 at 10:47 pm

    Brian, I’m asking you politely (and never mind what I’m holding behind my back): when the tortoise-speeded testing on your blog will be complete?

  • Bernie
    May 1, 2005 at 2:21 am

    I disagree on this one. There is a qualitative difference between armed individuals and a heavily armed state. I know, or at least I assume, you aren’t making an argument for every state in the world to have nukes. Many neighboring countries live in peace without them.

  • Adriana
    May 2, 2005 at 9:46 am

    Tatyana, Brian is doing all he can. The trouble is his database in his original installation has been completely corrupted and it’s taking all our guru’s technical ability to try to recover something from it. Given that we are trying to run a business at the same time, it takes longer than we would like. I agree that it is rather frustrating to have Brian displaced – blog-wise.

  • Joel C.
    May 2, 2005 at 1:58 pm

    Yep.

    “Si vis pace, para bellum”

  • Joel C.
    May 2, 2005 at 1:59 pm

    Yep.

    “Si vis pacem, para bellum*”

    *: If you want peace, prepare for war.

  • Joel C.
    May 2, 2005 at 1:59 pm

    Yep:

    “Si vis pacem, para bellum*”

    *: If you want peace, prepare for war.

  • Robert Speirs
    May 2, 2005 at 4:19 pm

    Si vis pacem, parabellum.

  • Tatyana
    May 3, 2005 at 2:01 am

    Thanks, Adriana.
    I had no idea the testing is actually in progress, now I can rest [go away] [look for alternatives][sleep] assured all’ll be well…

    See, I didn’t even have to show the object I’m holding.

    I wish Iran demonstrated similarly smart behaviour in response to our president’s hints…

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