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Only bad generals need heroes.

Bertolt Brecht

A man who sees another man on the street corner with only a stump for an arm will be so shocked the first time he’ll give him sixpence. But the second time it’ll only be a three penny bit. And if he sees him a third time, he’ll have him cold-bloodedly handed over to the police.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Giving Men Police Six Street Time
I opened the man’s skull and messed about with his brains. I saw how they patched fellows up, so as to cart them back to the Front as quickly as they could.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Brains Cart Front Patch Skull
You can’t write poems about trees when the woods are full of policemen.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Tree Wood Writing
I was called up in the war and sent to a hospital. I dressed wounds, applied iodine, gave enemas, did blood transfusions. If the doctor ordered: “Brecht, amputate a leg!”, I would reply, “Certainly, Your Excellency!”, and cut off the leg. If I was told, “Perform a trepanning!”
BERTOLT BRECHT

Cutting Men Transfusion War
People who fight may lose. People who do not fight have already lost.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Fighting May People
When the leaders speak of peace, the common folk know war is coming.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Common Folk Leader War
Eats first, morals after.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Eat Firsts Moral
When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Fall Rain Summer
Suppose they gave a war, and nobody came? Why then, the war would come to you!
BERTOLT BRECHT

Politics Suppose War
There are men who struggle for a day and they are good. There are men who struggle for a year and they are better. There are men who struggle many years, and they are better still. But there are those who struggle all their lives: These are the indispensable ones.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Men Struggle Years
Terrible is the temptation to be good.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Be Good Temptation Terrible
Art and science coincide insofar as both aim to improve the lives of men and women.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Art Fashion Mean
Here today we huddle tight As the darkest heathens might The snow falls chilly on our skin The snow is forcing its way in. Hush, snow, come in with us to dwell: We were thrown out by Heaven as well.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Fall Heaven Snow
Oh! Moon of Alabama We now must say good-bye We’ve lost our good old mama And must have whiskey Oh, you know why!
BERTOLT BRECHT

Alabama Bye Moon
A good soldier has his heart and soul in it. When he receives an order, he gets a hard on, and when he drives his lance through his enemy’s guts, he comes.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Art Heart Order Philosophy
Sin is what is new, strong, surprising, strange. The theatre must take an interest in sin if the young are to be able to go there.
BERTOLT BRECHT

Able Strong Theatre

Only bad generals need heroes.

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Only bad generals need heroes.

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