Old France, weighed down with history, prostrated by wars and revolutions, endlessly vacillating from greatness to decline, but revived, century after century, by the genius of renewal!

Whereas ordinary officers must be content with behaving correctly in front of their men, the great leaders have always carefully stage-managed their effects.

There can be no other criterion, no other standard than gold. Yes, gold which never changes, which can be shaped into ingots, bars, coins, which has no nationality and which is eternally and universally accepted as the unalterable fiduciary value par excellence.

The leader must aim high, see big, judge widely, thus setting himself apart form the ordinary people who debate in narrow confines.

I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.

They really are bad shots.

In order to become the master, the politician poses as the servant.