A Hitler Quote

[mcurrier]

Adolph Hitler, Edict of March 18, 1938 -

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subjected peoples to carry arms have prepared for their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the underdog is a sine qua non ["something essential" lit. "without which not"] for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let's not have any native militia or police."

Heinrich Himmler -

"Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or SA - ordinary citizens don't need guns, as their having guns doesn't serve the State."

Benjamin Franklin, 1759 -

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote."

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side note -

Notice the "well armed" part. Franklin did not say a slingshot or a musket.

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George Orwell -

"That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there."

[Guest President Fernatt]

Really interesting quote from Hitler...he certainly didn't make any attempt to hide his motives did he?

[leroy]

Thanks for posting the great quotes. Folks (...especially non gun owners...) would do well to think deeply about them. My favorite is the quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson:

"...Those who beat their weapons into plowshares will plow for those who dont...".

Keep up the good work.

Leroy

[Oh Shoot]

Thanks for posting the great quotes....

To pick a nit, the "two wolves..." quote is certainly NOT from Franklin, though.

- OS

[mcurrier]

To pick a nit, the "two wolves..." quote is certainly NOT from Franklin, though.

- OS

Perhaps...

"Lunches with Wolves" (the fake Ben Franklin quote on Democracy) | Room Eight

[Oh Shoot]

Perhaps...

"Lunches with Wolves" (the fake Ben Franklin quote on Democracy) | Room Eight

Well, simple fact that it is found nowhere in Ben's surviving writings, or in any writing by anyone who knew him, is probably best evidence.

And, as various articles say, no evidence of it ever being used by ANYbody before 1992.

- OS

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I would have guessed (wrongly) Heinlein.

While googling around, found a quotable attributed to Eisenhower that I hadn't seen--

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."

[Oh Shoot]

I would have guessed (wrongly) Heinlein.

While googling around, found a quotable attributed to Eisenhower that I hadn't seen--

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."

My fav from Ike is the "Things are more like they are now than they've ever been before", or similar wording. Often now mis-attributed to Gerald Ford.

The corollary would be, "Things were more like they were then than they'll ever be again".

Much internet lore is of the "even if it ain't true, it should be".

- OS

[Chief07]

Really interesting quote from Hitler...he certainly didn't make any attempt to hide his motives did he?

Absoultly. And our anti-gun politicians and the Brady bunch arn't hiding thier intentions either.

[Guest President Fernatt]

Absoultly. And our anti-gun politicians and the Brady bunch arn't hiding thier intentions either.

Very True...do any of you have hope for an awakening or do you think the left's fight against guns will be something that will last as long as the Country itself??

[Guest Lester Weevils]

My fav from Ike is the "Things are more like they are now than they've ever been before", or similar wording. Often now mis-attributed to Gerald Ford.

The corollary would be, "Things were more like they were then than they'll ever be again".

Much internet lore is of the "even if it ain't true, it should be".

- OS

Thanks OS

That is a good one.

Some of the simulated classical quotes are good enough to stand on their own even if attributed to Fu Bar or Ochs E. Moran. Ignorance may be the source of some misattribution, but deception has got to be the motivation in at least a few cases (when the first anonymous mass-mail gets the avalanche rolling).

It is almost like a wood worker making a modern piece of fine craftsmanship, but then he tries to make it look old like a genuine antique.

Back in the 1950's and 60's, in civics and history classes, we were exposed to a lot of genuine classical quotes of a similar philosophical bent. The founders and certain academics of the time generated so many good quotables, it must be pretty easy to sneak in a counterfeit that seems genuine at first glance.

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One fake quote that somebody could have claimed for their own without shame--

Alexander Fraser Tytler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The following unverified quotation has been attributed to Tytler, most notably as part of a longer piece which began circulating on the Internet shortly after the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election[9]:

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;

From spiritual faith to great courage;

From courage to liberty;

From liberty to abundance;

From abundance to complacency;

From complacency to apathy;

From apathy to dependence;

From dependence back into bondage.

There is no reliable record of Alexander Tytler's having made the statement.[9] In fact, this passage actually comprises two quotations, which didn't begin to appear together until the 1970s.[10] The first portion (italicized above) first appeared on December 9, 1951, as part of what appears to be an op-ed piece in The Daily Oklahoman under the byline Elmer T. Peterson.[11] The original version was as follows:

Two centuries ago, a somewhat obscure Scotsman named Tytler made this profound observation: "A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury. After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses because of the loose fiscal policy ensuing, always to be followed by a dictatorship, then a monarchy."

The list beginning "From bondage to spiritual faith" is commonly known as the "Tytler Cycle" or the "Fatal Sequence". Its first known appearance is in a 1943 speech "Industrial Management in a Republic"[12] by H. W. Prentis, president of the Armstrong Cork Company and former president of the National Association of Manufacturers, and appears to be original to Prentis."

====

Another good one apparently falsely attributed to Jefferson--

The democracy will cease to exist... (Quotation) « Thomas Jefferson

"Quotation: "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

...

Status: This exact quotation has not been found in any of the writings of Thomas Jefferson. It bears a very vague resemblance to Jefferson's comment in a prospectus for his translation of Destutt de Tracy's Treatise on Political Economy: "To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, -€˜the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it.'"[3]"

[kb4ns]

"The best thing about the internet is that you can post a quote and totally make up the source."

-Abraham Lincoln

[TN-popo]

"The best thing about the internet is that you can post a quote and totally make up the source."

-Abraham Lincoln

"Yep."

-Dirk Longpole

[tnhawk]

"The best thing about the internet is that you can post a quote and totally make up the source."

-Abraham Lincoln

I thought that was from Al Gore

[kb4ns]

I thought that was from Al Gore

Not the original quote, but he took the concept to a whole new level!

[Guest malbolja]

Heinrich Himmler -

"Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or SA - ordinary citizens don't need guns, as their having guns doesn't serve the State."

"You want an assault rifle? Join the Army!"

- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)

[shortround]

Very True...do any of you have hope for an awakening or do you think the left's fight against guns will be something that will last as long as the Country itself??

I don't think the fight for gun rights will ever end; unless, perhaps, it ends with a complete loss of those rights. Historically, governments have always sought to become ever more powerful. One of the ways they assert this power is by limiting the rights of the governed to bear arms.

[mcurrier]

I don't think the fight for gun rights will ever end; unless, perhaps, it ends with a complete loss of those rights. Historically, governments have always sought to become ever more powerful. One of the ways they assert this power is by limiting the rights of the governed to bear arms.

That is truly the point from which there is no comeback. I pity England, formerly one of the greatest nations on earth.

English Bobby: "STOP! or I'll yell 'stop' again!"

[Guest peacexxl]

English Bobby: "STOP! or I'll yell 'stop' again!"

-Robin Williams

[mcurrier]

-Robin Williams

That's it! I couldn't remember who said that. I don't like him, but pretty funny anyhow.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

"The best thing about the internet is that you can post a quote and totally make up the source."

-Abraham Lincoln

That's very witty!

[Guest Republican]

In 1929 the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, approximately 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P>

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915-1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <O:P></O:P>

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, 13 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally ill, and others, who were unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <O:P></O:P>

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <O:P></O:P>

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <O:P></O:P>

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <O:P></O:P>

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million "educated" people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. <O:P></O:P>

That places total victims who lost their lives because of gun control at approximately 56 million in the last century. Since we should learn from the mistakes of history, the next time someone talks in favor of gun control, find out which group of citizens they wish to have exterminated.

-Paul Harvey