Christian Lous Lange Quotes

All wars come to an end, at least temporarily. But the authority acquired by the state hangs on; political power never abdicates.

Whoever wants peace among nations must seek to limit the state and its influence most strictly.

The future condition of the conquered power depends on the will of the conquerer.

Sovereignty is as necessary as ever.

All treaties between great states cease to be binding when they come in conflict with the struggle for existence.

Great powers reserve the right to police bad actors in their neighborhoods.

The theoretically unrestricted right to develop power, to wage war against other states, is antisocial and is doubly dangerous, because the state as a mass entity represents a low moral and intellectual level.

Today the predatory state, or the predatory group of states, with power of total destruction, is no more to be tolerated than the predatory individual.

The simple fact about alliances is that different nations have their own interests.

The origins of the principle of the balance of power are lost in the mists of history.

We shall not abuse this astonishing and hitherto unheard of power, but every other nation will think we shall abuse it.

Nations are equal in respect to each other, and entitled to claim equal consideration for their rights, whatever may be their relative dimensions or strength, or however greatly they may differ in government, religion, or manners. This perfect equality, and entire independence of all distinct states, is a fundamental principle of public law. It is a necessary consequence of this equality that each nation has a right to govern itself as it may think proper, and no one nation is entitled to dictate a form of government or religion, or a course of internal policy, to another. No state is entitled to take cognizance or notice of the domestic administration of another state, or of what passes within it as between the government and its own subjects

Too frequent or too quick a resort to force can also undermine the authority of power. Not all use of force is created equal. Other states will grant authority to the use of force, implicitly if not otherwise, if it falls within the bonds of justice and reason; if they think a use of force does not fall within such bonds, they will withdraw their legitimate consent, and thereby undermine the authority of power.

The Bush Administration thought of politics as the relationship between individuals and the state and so it failed to recognize that the people of the Middle East see politics as the balance of power between communities.

Many people say that government is necessary because some men cannot be trusted to look after themselves, but anarchists say that government is harmful because no men can be trusted to look after anyone else.

The practice of a ruling power in the State is but a feeble proof of its legality.

The Labour party believes in the right of peoples to govern themselves, and to enjoy a way of life which they themselves decide upon. We concede that right to Russia. We concede that right to Germany, and it is because we are claiming it for ourselves, and Germany denies it to us, that we are at war with Germany

The American administration demonstrated the belief that the strongest has the right to create evil.

The state has got to be its own master. The modalities of civic life may not be prescribed for it through any power standing outside of that state - be it a private person or be it a community superior, collateral, or subordinate to that state.

Men can never escape being governed. Either they must govern themselves or they must submit to being governed by others.

'Peace through Strength' only works if you have and show strength.

We don't need a strongman. But we need a strong country that is not subordinate to Europe.

I believe states should have the right to be the masters of their own elections.

It is the nature of government and of technology to establish control.

The attitude of 'every nation unto itself' is a destructive one for the future of Israel.