#epa

And an even stronger example of Mr. Wells's indifference to the human psychology can be found in his cosmopolitanism, the abolition in his Utopia of all patriotic boundaries. He says in his innocent way that Utopia must be a world-state, or else people might make war on it. It does not seem to occur to him that, for a good many of us, if it were a world-state we should still make war on it to the end of the world. For if we admit that there must be varieties in art or opinion what sense is there in thinking there will not be varieties in government? The fact is very simple. Unless you are going deliberately to prevent a thing being good, you cannot prevent it being worth fighting for. It is impossible to prevent a possible conflict of civilizations, because it is impossible to prevent a possible conflict between ideals. If there were no longer our modern strife between nations, there would only be a strife between Utopias. For the highest thing does not tend to union only; the highest thing, tends also to differentiation. You can often get men to fight for the union; but you can never prevent them from fighting also for the differentiation. This variety in the highest thing is the meaning of the fierce patriotism, the fierce nationalism of the great European civilization. It is also, incidentally, the meaning of the doctrine of the Trinity. ↗

— G.K. Chesterton

#difference #separation #trinity #utopia #war

Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas. ↗

— Ronald Reagan

#secular #separation-of-church-and-state #teacher

I said uselessly, "Sam, don't go." Sam cupped my face in his hands and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were yellow, sad, wolf, mine. "These stay the same. Remember that when you look at me. Remember it's me. Please. ↗

— Maggie Stiefvater

#parting #sadness #separation #wolf #remember

I stabbed you. With a massive sword. You caught on fire." His lips twitched, almost imperceptibly. "Okay, so maybe our problems aren't like other couples. ↗

— Cassandra Clare

#jace #repartee #problems

Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft! ↗

— Theodore Roosevelt

#preparedness #strategy #honor

Almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. ↗

— Robert A. Heinlein

#danger #law #organized-religion #power #religion

Don't get too comfortable. It's not over until I say it is. -A ↗

— Sara Shepard

#pretty-little-liars #sara-shepard #comfort

A leaf cannot return to the bud - bluestar to fireheart and greystripe ↗

— Erin Hunter

#fireheart #firepaw #firestar #greystripe #hunter

Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose -- and you allow him to make war at pleasure. . . . If, today, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, 'I see no probability of the British invading us'; but he will say to you, 'Be silent; I see it, if you don't. ↗

— Abraham Lincoln

#government #separation-of-powers #us-presidents #president

If you believe you can accomplish everything by "cramming" at the eleventh hour, by all means, don't lift a finger now. But you may think twice about beginning to build your ark once it has already started raining ↗

— Max Brooks

#procrastination #zombie #procrastination