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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

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!”
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Cutting Men Transfusion War
The human race tends to remember the abuses to which it has been subjected rather than the endearments. What’s left of kisses? Wounds, however, leave scars.
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Abuse Kissing Race
One must live well to know what living is.
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Knows Live Must Well
If you fight you might lose, if you don’t you have already lost.
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Fighting Lost
Realist writing, of which history offers many widely varying examples, is likewise conditioned by the question of how, when and for what class it is made use of.
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Condition Example Made Realist
From the start it has been the theatre’s business to entertain people … it needs no other passport than fun.
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Fun People Theatre
Temptation to behave is terrible.
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Literature Temptation Terrible
Even hatred of vileness Distorts a mans features.
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Features Hatred
One cannot be arraigned for declaring a war, which every ruler has to do once in a while, but only for running a war badly.
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Declaring Running War
People cannot remain good unless good is expected of them.
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Expected Good People Remain
I don’t like where I’m going and I don’t like where I’ve been. Why am I in a hurry?
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Going Hurry Like
But something’s missing.
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Lot Missing Something
The rain Never falls upwards. When the wound Stops hurting What hurts is The scar.
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Fall Hurt Rain
General, your tank is a powerful vehicle It smashes down forests and crushes a hundred men. But it has one defect: It needs a driver.
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Crush Men Powerful
Unhappy the land that is in need of heroes.
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Happiness Hero Land
Everyone needs help from everyone.
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Collaboration Helping Needs
Whenever there are great virtues, it’s a sure sign something’s wrong.
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Great Something Virtue Wrong
When the leaders speak of peace The common folk know That war is coming When the leaders curse war
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Common Folk Lying War
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.
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Art Heart Order Philosophy
It’s all right to hesitate if you then go ahead.
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Ahead Literature Travel
When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out “stop!” 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.
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Become Doing Evil Invisible Suffering
Fearful is the seductive power of goodness.
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Fearful Goodness Seductive
It’s never too late for those whose time has come.
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Come Late never Too
We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the field itself.
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Feelings Historical Theatre
When the house of a great one collapses Many little ones are slain.
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Collapse House Littles
Who does Not Know the Truth, is simply a Fool… Yet who Knows the Truth and Calls it a Lie, is a Criminal.
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Criminals Doe Lying
Today every invention is received with a cry of triumph which soon turns into a cry of fear.
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Fear Today Triumph

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.

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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.

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Popular Authors

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