#ted

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. ↗

— George Orwell

#follows #four #freedom #granted #make

America is the greatest engine of innovation that has ever existed, and it can't be duplicated anytime soon, because it is the product of a multitude of factors: extreme freedom of thought, an emphasis on independent thinking, a steady immigration of new minds, a risk-taking culture with no stigma attached to trying and failing, a noncorrupt bureaucracy, and financial markets and a venture capital system that are unrivaled at taking new ideas and turning them into global products. ↗

— Thomas L. Friedman

#capitalism #economics #freedom #liberty #politics

No Statue of Liberty ever greeted our arrival in this country...we did not, in fact, come to the United States at all. The United States came to us. ↗

— Luis Valdez

#freedom #history #liberty #native-american #society

The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history. With a country so rich in natural resources, talent, and labor power the system can afford to distribute just enough wealth to just enough people to limit discontent to a troublesome minority. It is a country so powerful, so big, so pleasing to so many of its citizens that it can afford to give freedom of dissent to the small number who are not pleased. There is no system of control with more openings, apertures, leeways, flexibilities, rewards for the chosen, winning tickets in lotteries. There is none that disperses its controls more complexly through the voting system, the work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media--none more successful in mollifying opposition with reforms, isolating people from one another, creating patriotic loyalty. ↗

— Howard Zinn

#family

Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow. ↗

— Douglas Pagels

#freedom #freedom-of-thought #liberated #living-life #rainbow

We shall not find life by refusing to let go of our precious, protected selves. ↗

— Rowan Williams

#go #let go #life #our #precious

And also it was a process of, we lifted weights as well, in an effort to train my body to then be able to lift heavier weights when I got in Australia. So that was the first couple of months. ↗

— Brandon Routh

#also #australia #body #couple #effort

I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself. I never in my wildest dreams expected this popularity. ↗

— J. K. Rowling

#dreams #expected #i #i write #just

All of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me - consciously or unconsciously. That's to be expected. ↗

— Donald Trump

#consciously #expected #me #unconsciously #women

I hate labels; the problem is that if you say you're one thing, it's hard for people to imagine you as something else. Music is way more complicated than that. ↗

— Bill Frisell

#else #hard #hate #i #imagine