War should be made a crime, and those who instigate it should be punished as criminals.

The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.

From "The Spirit of Laws," 1748

[War] is a positive, precise and specific evil, of gigantic proportions ...making within the sphere of its influence all true grandeur impossible.

From his 1845 speech "The True Grandeur of Nations."

Almost all war making states borrow extensively, raise taxes, and seize the means of combat- including men--from reluctant citizens...

Name me an emperor who was ever struck by a cannonball.

The politicians in this world... have at their command weapons of mass destruction far more complex than their own thinking processes.

The truth is that neither British nor American imperialism was or is idealistic. It has always been driven by economic or strategic interests.

We...are not really free if we can't control our own government and its policies. And we will never do that if we remain ignorant.

War, n: A time-tested political tactic guaranteed to raise a president’s popularity rating by at least 30 points. It is especially useful during election years and economic downturns.

War in the end is always about betrayal, betrayal of the young by the old, of soldiers by politicians, and of idealists by cynics.

In war, we always deform ourselves, our essence.

The failure to dissect the cause of war leaves us open for the next installment.

After victory, you have more enemies.

True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.

Hell hath no fury like a non-combatant.

Quote from "Among the Dead Cities," by A.C. Grayling (Walker & Co., 2006).

War should be the politics of last resort. And when we go to war, we should have a purpose that our people understand and support.

Chauvinism is a proud and bellicose form of patriotism...which equates the national honor with military victory.

The dangerous patriot...is a defender of militarism and its ideals of war and glory.

The dangerous patriot...drifts into chauvinism and exhibits blind enthusiasm for military actions.

You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.

Comment trying to convince mideast policy makers Russia, the EU and the UN to stop aid to the new Hamas Palestinian government; 1/30/06.

Setting a good example is a far better way to spread ideals than through force of arms.

War is never economically beneficial except for those in position to profit from war expenditures.

As a rule of thumb, if the government wants you to know it, it probably isn't true.

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised "for the good of its victims" may be the most oppressive.

Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.

Lewis (1898-1963) was an Irish author and scholar, most famous for his 'Chronicles of Narnia' series. (From 'The Anti-War Quote Book,' Quirk Books, Ed. by Eric Groves Sr.)