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    At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical comment than a repressive, so that if comedy is to function in some way as a safety release then it must obviously deal with these taboo areas. This is part of the responsibility we accord our licensed jesters, that nothing be excused the searching light of comedy. If anything can survive the probe of humour it is clearly of value, and conversely all groups who claim immunity from laughter are claiming special privileges which should not be granted.

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  7  /  16  

Various kinds of ideas can be classified by their relationship to the authentication process. There are ideas systematically prepared for read more

Various kinds of ideas can be classified by their relationship to the authentication process. There are ideas systematically prepared for authentication ("theories"), ideas not derived from any systematic process ("visions"), ideas which could not survive any reasonable authentication process ("illusions"), ideas which exempt themselves from any authentication process ("myths"), ideas which have already passed authentication processes ("facts"), as well as ideas known to have failed- or certain to fail- such processes ("falsehoods" - both mistakes and lies).

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  9  /  21  

If "everybody knows" such-and-such, then it ain't so, by at least ten thousand to one.

If "everybody knows" such-and-such, then it ain't so, by at least ten thousand to one.

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The only way you can do that [decrease taxes, balance the budget, and increase military spending] is with mirrors, and read more

The only way you can do that [decrease taxes, balance the budget, and increase military spending] is with mirrors, and that's what it would take.

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Perhaps America will one day go fascist democratically, by popular vote.

Perhaps America will one day go fascist democratically, by popular vote.

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This I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. read more

This I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.

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Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.

Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.

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  14  /  14  

The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won't take it, but somebody read more

The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won't take it, but somebody always does.

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By the end, everybody had a label -- pig, liberal, radical, revolutionary ... If you had everything but a gun, read more

By the end, everybody had a label -- pig, liberal, radical, revolutionary ... If you had everything but a gun, you were a radical but not a revolutionary.

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To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.

To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles.

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