Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant read more

Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant part in the human tragedy, compared to the numbers massacred in unselfish loyalty to one's tribe, nation, dynasty, church, or political ideology, ad majorem gloriam dei. The emphasis is on unselfish. Excepting a small minority of mercenary or sadistic disposition, wars are not fought for personal gain, but out of loyalty and devotion to king, country or cause. Homicide committed for personal reasons is a statistical rarity in all cultures, including our own. Homicide for unselfish reasons, at the risk of one's own life, is the dominant phenomenon of history.

Of government, at least in democratic states, it may be said briefly that it is an agency engaged wholesale, and read more

Of government, at least in democratic states, it may be said briefly that it is an agency engaged wholesale, and as a matter of solemn duty, in the performance of acts which all self-respecting individuals refrain from as a matter of common decency.

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy. [Psalms 64:1].

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy. [Psalms 64:1].

I should have had a circuitous answer that was a non-answer.

I should have had a circuitous answer that was a non-answer.

From the fact that people are very different it follows that, if we treat them equally, the result must be read more

From the fact that people are very different it follows that, if we treat them equally, the result must be inequality in their actual position, and that the only way to place them in an equal position would be to treat them differently. Equality before the law and material equality are therefore not only different but are in conflict which each other; and we can achieve either one or the other, but not both at the same time.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

The disposition of all power is to abuses, nor does it at all mend the matter that its possessors are read more

The disposition of all power is to abuses, nor does it at all mend the matter that its possessors are a majority.

You better take advantage of the good cigars. You don't get much else in that job.

You better take advantage of the good cigars. You don't get much else in that job.

A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it read more

A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it grows also when it turns to justice and to right for the conservation of its interests.