#soc

Socialism? We've had way too much of it already. ↗

— Steve Steckler

#had #much #socialism #too #too much

It is presumptuous to draw conclusions about a person from what one has heard ↗

— Jude Morgan

#society #gossip

A city's only ever three hot meals away from anarchy. ↗

— Alastair Reynolds

#sf #social-commentary #anarchy

Religion and nationalism? I defecate on the altar of religious conviction, and wipe my arse on the flag of national pride. ↗

— Ian Martin

#fiction #social-satire #south-africa #religion

Roland glares at Connor and Connor glares back. Then he says what he always says at moments like this. "Nice socks." Although Roland doesn't look down right away, it derails him just enough for him to back off. He doesn't check to see if his socks match until he thinks Connor isn't looking. And the moment he does, Connor snickers. Small victories are bet­ter than none. ↗

— Neal Shusterman

#small-victories #socks #victories #victory #victory

Crack-brained meddling by the authorities [can] aggravate an existing crisis. ↗

— Karl Marx

#regulation #socialism #communism

Every culture has its southerners -- people who work as little as they can, preferring to dance, drink, sing brawl, kill their unfaithful spouses; who have livelier gestures, more lustrous eyes, more colorful garments, more fancifully decorated vehicles, a wonderful sense of rhythm, and charm, charm, charm; unambitious, no, lazy, ignorant, superstitious, uninhibited people, never on time, conspicuously poorer (how could it be otherwise, say the northerners); who for all their poverty and squalor lead enviable lives -- envied, that is, by work-driven, sensually inhibted, less corruptly governed northerners. We are superior to them, say the northerners, clearly superior. We do not shirk our duties or tell lies as a matter of course, we work hard, we are punctual, we keep reliable accounts. But they have more fun than we do ... They caution[ed] themselves as people do who know they are part of a superior culture: we mustn't let ourselves go, mustn't descend to the level of the ... jungle, street, bush, bog, hills, outback (take your pick). For if you start dancing on tables, fanning yourself, feeling sleepy when you pick up a book, developing a sense of rhythm, making love whenever you feel like it -- then you know. The south has got you. ↗

— Susan Sontag

#culture #north #north-and-south #northerners #perceptions

There's nothing wrong with giving up all your principles for a suitable financial reward. It is indeed the basis of our society. ↗

— Manny Rayner

#sociology #irony

The only way I can pay back for what fate and society have handed me is to try, in minor totally useless ways, to make an angry sound against injustice. ↗

— Martha Gellhorn

#injustice #society #injustice

Lily appeared, wearing her nightclothes, in the doorway. She gave an impatient sigh. 'This is certainly a very LONG private conversation,' she said. 'And there are certain people waiting for their comfort object.' Lily,' her mother said fondly, 'you're very close to being an Eight, and when you're an Eight, your comfort object will be taken away. It will be recycled to the younger children. You should be starting to go off to sleep without it.' But her father had already gone to the shelf and taken down the stuffed elephant which was kept there. Many of the comfort objects, like Lily's, were soft, stuffed, imaginary creatures. Jonas's had been called a bear. Here you are, Lily-billy,' he said. 'I'll come help you remove your hair ribbons. ↗

— Lois Lowry

#maturation #society #maturity