#mic

The social function of economic science consists precisely in developing sound economic theories and in exploding the fallacies of vicious reasoning. In the pursuit of this task the economist incurs the deadly enmity of all mountebanks and charlatans whose shortcuts to an earthly paradise he debunks. The less these quacks are able to advance plausible objections to an economist’s argument, the more furiously do they insult them. ↗

— Ludwig von Mises

#politics #freedom

Doch was [Olof] Palme in seinem Modernisierungseifer nicht verstehen konnte oder wollte, war, dass die akademischen Spinnweben auch für eine demokratisierte Hochschule von einigem Wert waren. Die Universitäten repräsentierten eine zivile Gesellschaft sowohl außerhalb des Staates als auch der Marktwirtschaft; sie waren eine andere Sphäre, die von der Jagd nach höherer Produktivität unberührt war, an der Wirtschaft und Sozialdemokratie natürlich teilnahmen. Den Universitäten und den Akademikern gegen ihren Willen Reformen aufzuzwingen untergrub ihr Selbstvertrauen und schadete auf lange Sicht der akademischen Freiheit. ↗

— Henrik Berggren

#reform #freedom

In the closed circle of the war cabinet, pounded by terrible report after terrible report, there had been uncertainty about whether he could fend off the drift to exploring a deal with Hitler. The determination of the larger group trumped the tentativeness of the smaller, and Churchill fulfilled his role as leader by disentangling himself from defeatism--one of his singular achievements at the end of May 1940. ↗

— Jon Meacham

#determination #group-dynamics #winston-churchill #friendship

Now listen, we need to be quiet as mice. No, quieter than that. As quiet as...as..." "Dead mice?" Reynie suggested. "Perfect," said Kate with an approving nod. "As quiet as dead mice. ↗

— Trenton Lee Stewart

#funny #mice #silence #sneaking #funny

My heart started racing, not the bad kind of heart racing, like I'm going to die. But the good kind of heart racing, like, Hello, can I help you with something? If not, please step aside because I'm about to kick the shit out of life. ↗

— Maria Semple

#fiction #funny #humor #funny

Comics are a gateway drug to literacy. ↗

— Art Spiegelman

#inspirational #literacy #art

And who are you supposed to be? the King of snot-nosed delinquents? ↗

— Michael Buckley

#michael-buckley #ms-smurt #puck #funny

Come live with us, Diana. Don't argue. Just say yes." Diana looked at the ground to hide her emotions. Then she said, "Would I have to be hearing you two going at it night and day? ↗

— Michael Grant

#come-live-with-us #diana #funny #gone #gone-series

..when the first rubber ball smacked her in the head and made her brains rattle in her skull, she knew that something about this dodgeball game was different ↗

— Michael Buckley

#funny #michael-buckley #funny

Assumptions are unopened windows that foolish birds fly into, and their broken bodies are evidence gathered too late. ↗

— Bryan Davis

#blunt #comical #funny #harsh #irony