Quotations - 关于民主的真知灼见

Quotation by Lord Acton in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887:
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

William Pitt the Younger, The Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, is sometimes wrongly attributed as the source. He did say something similar though, in a speech to the UK House of Lords in 1770: "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it."


起初他們来抓共產党，我沒說話──因為我不是共產主義者；
後来他們来抓猶太人，我沒說話──因為我不是猶太人；
隨之他們向工會成員而來，我沒說話──因為我不是工會成員；
接着他們向天主教徒而來，我沒說話──因為我是新教徒；
最终他們向我而來，那時已沒人為我說話了。

Martin Niemoller's actual address appears in the US Congressional Record, October 14, 1968, page 31636:
"When Hitler attacked the Jews, I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church -- and there was nobody left to be concerned."