this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025
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I've always attributed that first quote to Machiavelli, but I can't any source for it either. Am I crazy?
The most credible source I find credits it to an article by German satirist and journalist, Kurt tucholsky who was supposedly quoting a French diplomat in 1925
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191826719.001.0001/q-oro-ed4-00018040#Q-ORO-0004447
Neat, now to learn German, find this book and find who he was supposedly quoting 😂
I love that the reference includes "see Stalin" without any further context. We've come full circle 😶