A military without political training is a potential criminal.
Interpretation
A military that lacks political education may become a threat to society.
Thomas Sankara's quote emphasizes the importance of political awareness and training within a military context. It suggests that without a strong understanding of political principles and responsibilities, military forces may misuse their power and act unethically, potentially leading to criminal behavior against the state and its citizens.
In practice
This quote can be used during a speech about the responsibilities of military leaders.
Our revolution in Burkina Faso draws on the totality of mans experiences since the first breath of humanity. We wish to be the heirs of all the revolutions of the world, of all the liberation struggles of the peoples of the Third World. We draw the lessons of the American revolution.
Let there be an end to the arrogance of the big powers who miss no opportunity to put the rights of the people in question. Africa's absence from the club of those who have the right to veto is unjust and should be ended.
We must dare to invent the future
It's really a pity that there are observers who view political events like comic strips. There has to be a Zorro, there has to be a star. No, the problem of Upper Volta is more serious than that. It was a grave mistake to have looked for a man, a star, at all costs, to the point of creating one, that is, to the point of attributing the ownership of the event to captain Sankara, who must have been the brains, etc.
Under its current form, that is imperialism-controlled, debt is a cleverly managed re-conquest of Africa, aiming at subjugating its growth and development through foreign rules. Thus, each one of us becomes the financial slave, which is to say a true slave.
It took the madmen of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today. I want to be one of those madmen. We must dare to invent the future.
Presidential power is the power to persuade.
Paralysis of leadership is due in part to the unseen grip of the special interests.
Most discussions of decision making assume that only senior executives make decisions or that only senior executives' decisions matter. This is a dangerous mistake.
In order to lead a country or a company, you've got to get everybody on the same page and you've got to be able to have a vision of where you're going. America can't have a vision of health care for everybody, green economy, regulations - can't have a bunch of piece - meal activities. It's got to have a vision.
It's very important in a leadership role not to place your ego at the foreground and not to judge everything in relationship to how your ego is fed.
Quarterbacks need to make their team better. If it's a bad team, they can even make a bad team better.
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