Patriotism assumes that our globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living on that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in the attempt to impose his superiority upon all others. The inhabitants of the other spots reason in a like manner, of course.

—Emma Goldman

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About Emma Goldman

Portrait of Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Lithuanian-born anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

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Crime is naught but misdirected energy.

—Emma Goldman

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crime energy

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The most absurd apology for authority and law is that they serve to diminish crime. Aside from the fact that the State is itself the greatest criminal, breaking every written and natural law, stealing in the form of taxes, killing in the form of war and capital punishment, it has come to an absolute standstill in coping with crime.

—Emma Goldman

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war law apology authority crime taxes capital punishment

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All wars are wars among thieves who are too cowardly to fight and who therefore induce the young manhood of the whole world to do the fighting for them.

—Emma Goldman

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cowardice fighting Wars draft

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As to the great mass of working girls and women, how much independence is gained if the narrowness and lack of freedom of the home is exchanged for the narrowness and lack of freedom of the factory, sweatshop, department store, or office?

—Emma Goldman

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Every government, whatever its form, character, or color — be it absolute or constitutional, monarchy or republic, Fascist, Nazi, or Bolshevist — is by its very nature conservative, static, intolerant of change and opposed to it.

—Emma Goldman

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politics change government conservatism Nazi monarchy

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