The most important accomplishment, I believe, was my voting against the First World War.
Jeannette RankinRead
There can be no compromise with war; it cannot be reformed or controlled; cannot be disciplined into decency or codified into common sense.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War is an uncontrollable and destructive force that cannot be made decent or rational.
Jeannette Rankin's quote emphasizes the idea that war is an inherently chaotic and brutal phenomenon that cannot be modified, regulated, or normalized. It suggests that attempts to control or moralize war are futile efforts, as war transcends logic and ethics, leading to indiscriminate violence instead of disciplined conduct.
Themes
WarViolenceChaosPhilosophyTruth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during discussions on the ethics of military intervention.
More from Jeannette Rankin
All quotes βAs a woman I can't go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.
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I worked for suffrage for years, and got it. I've worked for peace for 55 years and haven't come close.
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Small use it will be to save democracy for the race if we cannot save the race for democracy.
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I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war.
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It will be hard to convince people that their welfare is safe in the hands of a federal government when they feel themselves the victims of unjust sectional discrimination.
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