Irishness is not primarily a question of birth or blood or language; it is the condition of being involved in the Irish situation, and usually of being mauled by it. Conor Cruise O'Brien More Quotes by Conor Cruise O'Brien More Quotes From Conor Cruise O'Brien The United Nations cannot do anything, and never could; it is not an animate entity or agent. It is a place, a stage, a forum and a shrine... a place to which powerful people can repair when they are fearful about the course on which their own rhetoric seems to be propelling them. Conor Cruise O'Brien agents powerful people In the last century the Arab thinker Jamal al-Afghani wrote: 'Every Muslim is sick and his only remedy is in the Koran.' Unfortunately the sickness gets worse the more the remedy is taken. Conor Cruise O'Brien atheism sick taken You are not an agnostic.....You are just a fat slob who is too lazy to go to Mass. Conor Cruise O'Brien agnostic lazy sloth A good man giving bad advice is more dangerous than a nasty man giving bad advice. Conor Cruise O'Brien advice giving men British diplomats, constantly exposed to American political-ethical rhetoric, find their professional skills tested to the limits by the need to keep a straight face. For illustrations of what I mean, study the photographs of the expressions worn by Mr Douglas Hurd at any international conference involving all the Western allies. Conor Cruise O'Brien illustration expression mean Human nature doesn't include all human beings. There are human beings who are indifferent to politics, religion, virtually anything. Conor Cruise O'Brien indifferent human-nature being-there Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation. Conor Cruise O'Brien apathy men history The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail... You can safely appeal to the UN in the comfortable certainty that it will let you down. Conor Cruise O'Brien failing government america Nothing does more to activate Christian divisions than talk about Christian unity. Conor Cruise O'Brien unity christian doe You can safely appeal to the UN in the comfortable certainty that it will let you down. Conor Cruise O'Brien united-nations appeals certainty The sea which we think of separating the two island actually joins them. Conor Cruise O'Brien sea islands thinking The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and to be seen to fail. Conor Cruise O'Brien survive fail seen united-nations You can safely appeal to the United Nations in the comfortable certainty that it will let you down. Conor Cruise O'Brien down will you united-nations
