Oppression

"We must not conclude merely upon a mans haranguing upon liberty, and using the charming sound, that he is fit to be trusted with the liberties of his country. It is not unfrequent to hear men declaim loudly upon liberty, who, if we may judge by the whole tenor of their actions, mean nothing else by it but their own liberty, — to oppress without control or the restraint of laws all who are poorer or weaker than themselves. It is not, I say, unfrequent to see such instances, though at the same time I esteem it a justice due to my country to say that it is not without shining examples of the contrary kind; — examples of men of a distinguished attachment to this same liberty I have been describing; whom no hopes could draw, no terrors could drive, from steadily pursuing, in their sphere, the true interests of their country; whose fidelity has been tried in the nicest and tenderest manner, and has been ever firm and unshaken. The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy this gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people."

"The God whom we know in the Bible is a liberating God, a God who destroys myths and alienations, a God who intervenes in history in order to break down the structures of injustice and who raises up prophets in order to point out the way of justice and mercy. He is the God who liberates slaves (Exodus), who causes empires to fall and raises up the oppressed (Magnificat, Luke 1:52)."

"All oppressive regimes become stronger through the degradation of the oppressed."

"The rebirth of feminism coincided with the use of the term "oppression." The ruling ideology, i.e. common sense, daily speech, does not speak about oppression but about a "feminine condition." It refers back to a naturalist explanation: to a constraint of nature, exterior reality out of reach and not modifiable by human action. The term "oppression," on the contrary, refers back to a choice, an explanation, a situation that is political. "Oppression" and "" are therefore synonyms or rather social oppression is a redundance: the notion of a political origin, i.e. social, is an integral part of the concept of oppression."

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed."

"If you arent careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing."

"The poor were wise, who, by the rich oppressed,"

"The war of the poor against the rich is the only way from oppression to deliverance."

"I say to my people’s masters: Beware Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people Who shall take what ye would not give. Did ye think to conquer the people, or that law is stronger than life, And than men’s desire to be free? We will try it out with you ye that have harried and held, Ye that have bullied and bribed. Tyrants… hypocrites… liars!"

"Let those who choose the Afterlife over worldly life fight for the Gods cause. And whoever fights for the Gods cause and later be martyred or attains victory, then We will grant him a great reward. And why do you not fight for the Gods cause, when the oppressed amongst the men and women and children Say: "Our Lord, bring us out of this town whose people are oppressors, and grant us from Yourself guardian, and grant us from Yourself deliverer!" The believers fight for the Gods cause, while the deniers fight for the devils cause; so fight against the allies of Satan, for the tactics of Satan is fragile."

"Oppression follows logically from exploitation, so as to guarantee the latter."

"Only great men among the unfree and the oppressed are those who struggle to destroy the oppressor."