But in case the sword should do all that the sword can do, the success of their arms and the defeat of their policy will be one and the same thing.
Edmund Burke: “But in case the sword should do all that the sword can do, the success of their arms and the defeat of their policy will…”
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Edmund Burke
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gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Burke argues that military success does not equate to political success, highlighting the futility of force.
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