Coalitions though successful have always found this, that their triumph has been brief.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
We cannot always assure the future of our friends; we have a better chance of assuring our future if we remember who our friends are.
—Henry Kissinger (b.1923) American Diplomat, Academician
‘Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.
—George Washington (1732–99) American Head of State, Military Leader
It is vain to talk of the interest of the community, without understanding what is the interest of the individual
—Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) British Philosopher, Economist
An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it. A great power like the United States gains no advantage and it loses prestige by offering, indeed peddling, its alliances to all and sundry. An alliance should be hard diplomatic currency, valuable and hard to get, and not inflationary paper from the mimeograph machine in the State Department.
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American Journalist, Political Commentator
Individuals may form communities, but it is institutions alone that can create a nation.
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) British Head of State
Alliance. In international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other’s pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
In order to stand well in the eyes of the community, it is necessary to come up to a certain, somewhat indefinite, conventional standard of wealth.
—Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929) American Economist, Social Critic
A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must git it this soul.
—Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) Polish Catholic Religious Leader
A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) Norwegian Playwright
Equal and exact justice to all: peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, and entangling alliances with none; the support of State governments in all their rights, as the most competent administration of our domestic concerns, are the surest bulwarks against anti-republican tendencies.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
A racially integrated community is a chronological term timed from the entrance of the first black family to the exit of the last white family.
—Saul Alinsky (1909–72) American Community Organizer, Political Theorist
The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
This is the true joy in life: Being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
A machine has value only as it produces more than it consumes – so check your value to the community.
—Martin H. Fischer
The community of living is the carriage of the Lord.
—Hebrew Proverb
What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.
—Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The challenge of social justice is to evoke a sense of community that we need to make our nation a better place, just as we make it a safer place.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community
—Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) Italian Catholic Priest, Philosopher, Theologian
Men of integrity, by their very existence, rekindle the belief that as a people we can live above the level of moral squalor. We need that belief; a cynical community is a corrupt community.
—John W. Gardner (1912–2002) American Activist
My faith has been the driving thing of my life. I think it is important that people who are perceived as liberals not be afraid of talking about moral and community values.
—Marian Wright Edelman (b.1939) American Civil Regrets Advocate, Humanitarian, Lawyer
Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together.
—Eugene Ionesco (1909–94) Romanian-born French Dramatist
There’s a reason why every human society has fiction. It teaches us how to be ‘good,’ to behave in a way that is for the benefit of the whole community.
—Orson Scott Card (b.1951) American Author
Union may be strength, but it is mere blind brute strength unless wisely directed.
—Samuel Butler
Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.
—Anthony J. D’Angelo
We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
A world community can only exist with world communication, which means something more than extensive software facilities scattered about the globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common idea’s and common ideals.
—Robert Maynard Hutchins (1899–1977) American Educator
There is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude toward your experience changing.
—John Dewey (1859–1952) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Educator
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