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1 " There is no moral difference between a Stealth bomber and a suicide bomber. They both kill innocent people for political reasons. "
― Tony Benn
2 " An educated, healthy & confident nation is harder to govern "
3 " I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all frighten people and secondly, demoralise them. "
4 " If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people. "
5 " The Marxist analysis has got nothing to do with what happened in Stalin's Russia: it's like blaming Jesus Christ for the Inquisition in Spain. "
6 " Broadcasting is really too important to be left to the broadcasters. "
7 " Of course, Mao made his mistakes, because everybody does, but at least he allowed working people to smoke, even in the most trying circumstances, such as when, for one reason or another, they found themselves up before the firing squad. "
8 " Clare Short, who today poses as an anti-war warrior but was six years ago Blair's cheerleader-in-chief for bombing Yugoslavia. After the attack on Radio-Televizija Jugoslavenska she said, 'The propaganda machine is prolonging the war and it's a legitimate target'. Amnesty International pointed out 'intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects is a war crime under the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court'. "
9 " Most things in life are moments of pleasure and a lifetime of embarrassment; photography is a moment of embarrassment and a lifetime of pleasure. "
10 " All war represents a failure of diplomacy. "
11 " What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you "
12 " I don't make mistakes. I make predictions which immediately turn out to be wrong. "
― Tony Benn , Arguments for Socialism
13 " If the Labour Party could be bullied or persuaded to denounce its Marxists, the media - having tasted blood - would demand next that it expelled all its Socialist and reunited the remaining Labour Party with the SDP to form a harmless alternative to the Conservatives, which could then be allowed to take office now and then when the Conservatives fell out of favour with the public. Thus British Capitalism, it is argued, will be made safe forever, and socialism would be squeezed of the National agenda. But if such a strategy were to succeed… it would in fact profoundly endanger British society. For it would open up the danger of a swing to the far-right, as we have seen in Europe over the last 50 years. "
14 " I have divided politicians into two categories: the Signposts and the Weathercocks. The Signpost says: 'This is the way we should go.' And you don't have to follow them but if you come back in ten years time the Signpost is still there. The Weathercock hasn’t got an opinion until they've looked at the polls, talked to the focus groups, discussed it with the spin doctors. And I've no time for Weathercocks, I'm a Signpost man. And in fairness, although I disagreed with everything she did, Mrs Thatcher was a Signpost. She said what she meant. Meant what she said. Did what she said she’d do if you voted for her. So everybody who voted for her shared responsibility for what happened. And I think that we do need a few more Signposts and few fewer Weathercocks. "
15 " I'm all in favour of free expression provided it's kept rigidly under control. "
16 " After fifteen years I have decided to resign my membership of the Dennis The Menace Fanclub. Itbrought me no benefits worth mentioning. "
― Tony Benn , More Time for Politics: Diaries 2001-2007
17 " By the end of his sixteen-course meal in Buckingham Palace, Ramsay McDonald discovered he had changed his mind about the workers owning the means of production. From now on, he felt it better that the Dukes and Duchesses should continue to own the means of production. The workers would just have to make do with what was left over. "
― Tony Benn , Dare to Be a Daniel: Then and Now
18 " When I was seven I got dressed up as a city gent and walked into the Bank of England shouting ' fuck the Pound'. "
19 " He referred to Aneurin Bevan as 'Urinal' Bevan. As for the working classes, they couldn't write their own names in shit on a lavatory wall. I said I thought they could. "
― Tony Benn , The Benn Diaries, 1940-1990
20 " I was stunned with outrage. "
― Tony Benn , Free at Last! Diaries, 1991-2001
