Quotes / No Blood for Phlebotinum

The first biological lesson of history is that life is competition. Competition is not only the life of trade, it is the trade of life — peaceful when food abounds, violent when the mouths outrun the food. Animals eat one another without qualm; civilized men consume one another by due process of law.

— The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant

People do not go to war for abstract theories of government. They fight for property and privilege.

— W.E.B. Du Bois

War. War never changes. In the 21st century wars were still fought over the resources that could be acquired...

— Fallout

"First there were the Oil Wars, then the Food Wars, the Water Wars, the Lead Wars..."
"The Lead Wars?" said Kes. "What was that about?"
"They started running out of bullets."

— Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space

Why are you hurting these people?
It’s the oil, stupid.
Oil wars.
We are killing for gasoline!

— Mad Max: Fury Road, Opening Narration

Higgins: It's simple economics. Today it's oil, right? In ten or fifteen years, food. Plutonium. Maybe even sooner. Now, what do you think the people are gonna want us to do then?

Joe Turner: Ask them?

Higgins: Not now — then! Ask 'em when they're running out. Ask 'em when there's no heat in their homes and they're cold. Ask 'em when their engines stop. Ask 'em when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You wanna know something? They won't want us to ask 'em. They'll just want us to get it for 'em!

— Three Days of the Condor

Oil. War demanded the pure substance born in the sediment of rising continent. Vegetable oil wouldn't do. War was no vegetarian. War was a carnivore.

— Commander Sparrow, The Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert

Our last drop of oil will be burned by a tank.

— Loading Screen Text, Frontlines: Fuel of War

Angus: Quiller, do you realise you probably put tuppence on the price of a gallon of petrol?

Quiller: It'll still be a lot cheaper than blood.

— Quiller, "The Price of Violence"

---