“The cry for peace will be a cry in the wilderness, so long as the spirit of nonviolence does not dominate millions of men and women. An armed conflict between nations horrifies us. But the economic war is no better than an armed conflict. This is like a surgical operation. An economic war is prolonged torture. And its ravages are no less terrible than those depicted in the literature on war properly so called. We think nothing of the other because we are used to its deadly effects. The movement against war is sound. I pray for its success. But I cannot help the gnawing fear that the movement will fail if it does not touch the root of all evil — man's greed.”
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Source: 'Non-Violence — The Greatest Force,' The World Tomorrow (5 October 1926).
About this quote
Peace is not simply the absence of armies. Economic exploitation grinds people down as surely as any battle, only slower and less visibly, so we learn to tolerate it. Any campaign against war stays hollow unless it reaches the appetite that feeds conflict in the first place: plain human greed.
When to use it
- A lender traps customers in fees they can never escape, ruining lives without ever raising a hand.
- A factory pays wages so low its workers can't feed their families, though the books look peaceful.
- A company squeezes its small suppliers until several go under and calls it shrewd negotiation.