Indro Montanelli Quotes

• Democracy is always, by nature and constitution, the triumph of mediocrity.

  Indro Montanelli

  Democracy, Triumph, Mediocrity

  10 Copy quote

• The only advice that I'm in the mood to give - and that I give regularly - to young people is this: fight for what you believe in. You will lose, just like I have lost, all the battles. But only one you may win. The one that you engage every morning, in front of the mirror.

  Indro Montanelli

  Morning, Believe, Fighting

  "Soltanto un giornalista" by Indro Montanelli, Rizzoli, Milano, 2002.

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• Servitude, in many cases, is not forced upon by the masters, but a temptation of the servants.

  Indro Montanelli

  Temptation, Masters, Cases

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• I know many crooks and they never preach, but I don't know anyone who preaches that isn't a crook also.

  Indro Montanelli

  Crooks, Knows

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• I have never dreamt of contesting the Church her right to remain faithful to herself, meaning to the commandments that come from Doctrine... but that she expects to impose these commandments upon me who do not have the good fortune of being a believer, trying to pour them into civil law in a way that they become obligatory even to us non-believers, is it right? To me it doesn't seem so.

  Indro Montanelli

  Law, Faithful, Church

  "Non vince la scienza" by Umberto Veronesi, www.repubblica.it. November 14, 2008.

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• The love of power excludes all others.

  Indro Montanelli

  "I protagonisti" by Indro Montanelli, Rizzoli, (p. 265), 1976.

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• Politicians do nothing but ask of us, during every expiration of a legal statute, "a gesture of trust." But here trust is not enough; what's needed is an act of faith.

  Indro Montanelli

  Gestures, Politician, Enough

  "Controcorrente 1974-1986". Book by Indro Montanelli, 1987.

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• The nice thing about political pundits is that, when they answer a question, one no longer understands what they were asked.

  Indro Montanelli

  Nice, Political, Answers

  "Controcorrente 1974-1986". Book by Indro Montanelli, 1987.

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• Which ever one of you will want to become a journalist, let him remember to choose his own master: the reader.

  Indro Montanelli

  Want, Remember, Masters

  From a lecture of journalism at the University of Turin, "La Stampa" Newspaper, April 14, 2009.

  5 Copy quote

• Fascism rewarded jackasses in uniform. Democracy gives privileges to those in sports' gear. In Italy, political regimes come to pass. Jackasses remain. Triumphant.

  Indro Montanelli

  Sports, Giving, Political

  "Controcorrente 1974-1986". Book by Indro Montanelli, 1987.

  8 Copy quote

• You give Italy Jesus Christ and you get the Roman Catholic Church.

  Indro Montanelli

  Jesus, Giving, Catholic

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• Certainly, for a newspaper director, to have within arm's reach a Travaglio, about whom every starring actor, supporting cast and extra of Italian political life he is ready upon cold request to provide an inquiry brief refined in the most minute details is a nice comfort. But also a bit unsettling. The day I asked him if in that archive, into which no one is allowed to stick their nose, there were a brief with my name on it, Marco changed the subject.

  Indro Montanelli

  Nice, Italian, Names

  Preface to "Il Pollaio delle Libertà" by Marco Travaglio, Vallecchi, 1995.

  4 Copy quote

• Pertini has interpreted as their best the worst about Italians.

  Indro Montanelli

  Worst

  "Piccola antologia del pensiero breve" by Franco Fontanini, Liguori Editore, (p. 12), 2007.

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• [Addressed to Berlusconi who wanted to impose himself on the editorial style of "Il Giornale"] In the art of entrepeneurship, you are certainly a genius, and I an asshole. But in the art of argument the genius is me, and you the asshole.

  Indro Montanelli

  Art, Style, Genius

  "Montanelli e il Cavaliere: storia di un grande e di un piccolo uomo" by Marco Travaglio, 2009.

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• Cynics are all moralists, and merciless too.

  Indro Montanelli

  Moralist

  "L'Italia giacobina e carbonara" by Indro Montanelli, Rizzoli, Milano (p. 144), 1972.

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• Men do not know how to appreciate and measure luck except that of others. Their own never.

  Indro Montanelli

  Men, Appreciate, Luck

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• An Italian university is a contradiction in terms.

  Indro Montanelli

  Italian, Contradiction, Term

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• Depression is a democratic sickness: it afflicts everyone.

  Indro Montanelli

  Sickness, Democratic

  TV Ippocrate, Rai News, June 13, 2010.

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• A real writer [...] looks not in another writer but himself.

  Indro Montanelli

  Real, Looks

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• Italian husbands, in order to buy their wives a fur coat, spend more than all their European collegues.

  Indro Montanelli

  Husband, Italian, Order

  "Controcorrente 1974-1986". Book by Indro Montanelli, 1987.

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• It isn't necessary to be socialists in order to love Pertini. Whatever he says or does, smells of cleanliness, of loyalty and of sincerity.

  Indro Montanelli

  Loyalty, Order, Smell

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• Also we Italians have something to Elvis Presley: to offer one of the rare occasions when we prefer to be Italian rather than American.

  Indro Montanelli

  Italian, Rare Occasion, Offers

  "il Giornale nuovo" Newspaper, (p. 1), August 20, 1977.

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