#civil

This is precisely how someone speaks who imagines that he is the world's divinely appointed ruler: 'I will not LET them starve. I will not LET the drought come. I will not LET the river flood. ↗

— Daniel Quinn

#philosophy #imagination

si tu examines mon empire tu t'en iras voir les forgerons et les trouveras forgeant des clous et se passionnant pour les clous et te chantant les cantiques de la clouterie. Puis tu t'en iras voir les bucherons et tu les trouveras abattant arbres et se passionnant pour l'abattage d'arbres, et se remplissant d'une intense jubilation à l'heure de la fête du bucheron, qui est du premier craquement, lorsque la majesté de l'arbre commence de se prosterner. Et si tu vas voir les astronaumes, tu les verras se passionnant pour les étoiles et n'écoutant plus que leur silence. Et en effet chacun s'imagine être tel. Maintenant si je te demande: "Que se passe-t-il dans mon empire, que naîtra-t-il demain chez moi?" tu me diras: "On forgera des clous, on abattra des arbres, on observera les étoiles et il y aura donc des réserves de clous, des réserves de bois et des observations d'étoiles." Car myope et le nez contre, tu n'as point reconnu la construction d'un navire. (chapitre CXVII) ↗

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

#humankind #imagination

JAKE BAKER JOINING THE UNION ARMY IN NEW ORLEANS "I'd prefer to be back in Texas, taking aim at the Rebs..., but I just can't do that," said Jake. ..."So, I'll just do what I can do, I guess." "I suspect that goes for all of us," said the Colonel. "Maybe we should make that the unit's motto. 'The First Texas Cavalry of the United States of America: We'll just do what we can do, we guess.' It does have a ring to it, but I expect that we need somethin' a bit more inspirational and less true. ↗

— Charles Phillips

#historical-fiction #war-fiction #inspirational

It's when the 'international community' expresses 'concern' about your 'situation' that your situation is well and truly fucked. ↗

— Michael D. Weiss

#geopolitics #inaction #international-community #politics #syria

Civilization is unbearable, but it is less unbearable at the top. ↗

— Timothy Leary

#civilization #less #top #unbearable

Common sense should tell us that there is no reason for civilians to have access to easily concealable handguns with the capability to shoot through body armor. ↗

— Carl Levin

#armor #body #capability #civilians #common

The United States, per capita, at a certain period in its history, had the most junkies of any country ever in the world - right after the Civil War. The most brutal war, the greatest amount of casualties that America's ever had. ↗

— Al Lewis

#america #amount #any #brutal #capita

We are born charming, fresh and spontaneous and must be civilized before we are fit to participate in society. ↗

— Judith Martin

#born #charming #civilized #fit #fresh

I rise today in support of Bill C-38, the Civil Marriage Act. I rise in support of a Canada in which liberties are safeguarded, rights are protected and the people of this land are treated as equals under the law. ↗

— Paul Martin

#bill #canada #civil #equals #i

We burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo - men, women and children. LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side had lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win? ↗

— Robert McNamara

#children #civilians #death #doing #had