"...regrettable as it may seem to the idealist, the experience of
history provides little warrant for the belief that real progress,
and the freedom that makes progress possible, lies in unification.
For where unification has been able to establish unity of ideas
it has usually ended in uniformity, paralysing the growth of new ideas.
And where the unification has merely brought about an artificial or
imposed unity, its irksomeness has led through discord to disruption."
by:
B. H. Liddell Hart
(1895-1970) British military historian and strategist
Rating:
Categories:
 
Bookmark and Share  
Reader comments about this quote:
A small as possible central government limited to only those functions that can not be performed by more local associations, (by way of example 'issues between 2 or more states') is a good start toward individual freedom and liberty. The de jure guaranteed Republic of the Several States United limited the size of the Federal by allowing only actions as were finitely authorized by the Constitution.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
  •  
    Without any wisdom...
     -- RobertSRQ     
  •  
    These individuals were quite keen to future events leading to total destruction of our societies.
     -- Ed, tlanta     
  •  
    Mix a bunch of perfectly good colors and it all comes out grey.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
  •  
    Simplistic. Why has not a "unity" such as Paraquay for example gone to the moon?Why hasn't a European country done marvelous space exploration like the Russians and Americans. Now that Europe is united as the European Union they have a space agency. Unity brings strength and money (a large economy and tax base). I have not heard so much disunion talk since I watched Civil War movies. If folks cannot not organize, UNITE and rally either by "government" or business enterprize then nothing of a large scale gets done,
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
  •  
    Waffler, to answer your question, it is simple: need and desires; voluntary vs. compelled; freedom / liberty vs. tyranny / democracy etc. The Soviet Union bankrupt the country with its exploits. And, now that they've dumped the income tax, their coming back. The EU wants its own satellites for communications, Paraguay does not. Because of the Communism / socialism / tyranny cased damage in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, and the monetary policy of the world bank to date, I believe even if all South America united, they would have a hard time financing a space program.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
  •  
    I disagree with you Mike. Paraquay can have and probalby pay for a satellite and the US would launch it. Paraquay like most small countries have not the financing or infrastructure of education, science, and technology to do what the Russians and Americans did starting in the late '50's. Unity, union brings strength, infrastructure, economy of scale and tax base.
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
  •  
    Cnsider for a moment whether he is talking about the development of Naziism and the inability of the mass of Germans believing in the unification of faulty ideals led to imposed unification and enormous discord. There m ust be room for variation and innovation. If we all think the do the same often it can stiffle the innovative in that persons with new ideas are often rejected by the masses.
     -- Judith, Corrales     
  •  
    He’s talking about something every one has to have had experience with. Death by committee. Get a bunch of people to collectively agree on a course and the course at best will be mediocre. If a group of individuals go in different directions the best will prove out and the rest will eventually follow as long as ideology does not get in the way.
     -- warren, olathe     
  •  
    Waffler, you have your head up your you-know-what again. Who says Paraguay doesn't have a satellite, hmm? Where do you think this money comes from to launch these multi-billion dollar projects? It is simply printed up and loaned at interest. Paraguay has been bankrupted so many times from their debts to the north, they are beholden to the IMF forever. For a screaming, wild-eyed, liberal, I cannot believe you tout space travel when countries like Paraguay remain 3rd world nations under the thumb of the banksters. Also, the technology used to launch a man to the moon is the same technology used to launch a nuclear missile. For some reason, the US has demanded that no other countries may have this technology that doesn't already have it. We will likely go to war with Iran because they have the audacity to develop technologies that the US has been using against the world for decades! No big mystery here. The invention of the cross-bow guaranteed the deaths of millions -- just like the invention of the hydrogen bomb. Live by the sword, die by the sword. As usual, when weapons are not used for defense only, the karma of 'pre-emptive action' will eventually come back to us. Unification, centralization, globalization -- all put too much power in too few hands and will eventually mean 'shock and awe' for some poor country who doesn't want to be told what to do under threat of force from the super-powers.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
  •  
    Unity does not have to be bad. Disunion is not necessarily good. Good or bad uses of the things are determined somewhere else. Some political parties talk about the unity of a big tent where disparte opinions are welcome, other parties talk about the unity of a tight nucleus where contrary opinons are disregarde
     -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas     
  •  
     
    Rate this quote!
    How many stars?
    0
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5

     
    What do YOU think?
    Your name:
    Your town:
        CLICK JUST ONCE!

    More Quotations
    Get a Quote-A-Day! Free!
    Liberty Quotes sent to your mail box.
    RSS Subscribe
    Quotes & Quotations - Send This Quote to a Friend

    © 1998-2024 Liberty-Tree.ca