You can build a throne with bayonets, but it's difficult to sit on it.
Boris YeltsinRead
Storm clouds of terror and dictatorship are gathering over the whole country... They must not be allowed to bring eternal night.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of resisting oppression and fighting for freedom in the face of tyranny.
Boris Yeltsin's quote reflects a critical moment in history where the threat of dictatorship looms large. He urges the people to stand firm against oppressive forces, highlighting the need for courage and action to prevent a descent into a dark and oppressive regime. The phrase 'eternal night' symbolizes the loss of freedom and hope that comes with unchecked authoritarianism.
In practice
During a speech at a rally against authoritarianism.
You can build a throne with bayonets, but it's difficult to sit on it.
Liberty sets the mind free, fosters independence and unorthodox thinking and ideas. But it does not offer instant prosperity or happiness and wealth to everyone.
We don't appreciate what we have until it's gone. Freedom is like that. It's like air. When you have it, you don't notice it.
On climbs, there is a general way we manage fear. We look at things objectively, separating out perceived risk from real risk. You can really bring down the level of fear by knowing the real risks and setting aside the others. You also know that panicking just makes things worse.
Acting is really about having the courage to fail in front of people.
We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own lives in peace.
I lost everything when they put us in prison. I was an enemy alien, a man without a country.
My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack.
In such a regime, I say, you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murderer in the chest-without asking to be paid.
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