Christopher G. Nuttall > Quotes

“One of the most dangerous signs of decline is the sudden reluctance to tolerate different points of view in political debate.  Questions and issues that were discussed freely are suddenly forbidden, limiting the realm of political science.  The reluctance to question the fundamental basis of our culture and society is, in itself, crippling free enquiry and freedom of speech.”
― Christopher Nuttall, The Empire's Corps

“Most people are idiots”
― Christopher Nuttall, The Trafalgar Gambit

“there would always be incompetent assholes in the world ... and many of them would be in places of power.”
― Christopher Nuttall, Ark Royal

“They’re politicians,” her father pointed out dryly. “A good grip on reality isn’t part of the job description.”
― Christopher Nuttall, The Oncoming Storm

“Concentrate on the here and now. The future can take care of itself.”
― Christopher Nuttall, Ark Royal

“His more cynical side suspected that humans had never really needed an excuse to pick on other humans.”
― Christopher Nuttall, The Nelson Touch

“who’s the fairest of them all?” “Silly question,” a voice said. Emily nearly jumped out of her skin. “Fairest is a subjective measure. One man’s fairest woman might be another man’s ugly cow.”
― Christopher Nuttall, Schooled in Magic

“Do not confuse "duty" with what other people expect of you; they are utterly different. Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfil obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect. -Robert A. Heinlein”
― Christopher Nuttall, Invasion

“The federal government hated it when people tried to move outside its sphere of control, no matter the reason.  It was incapable of leaving people alone, even if they weren't causing trouble or doing anything more than keeping themselves to themselves. ”
― Christopher Nuttall, A Learning Experience

“War was a democracy, he knew.  The enemy got a vote too.”
― Christopher Nuttall, Ark Royal

“Defending the United States was important and there were few higher honours, yet ... was it worth making such a commitment when one’s political leaders were worse than the enemy?”
― Christopher Nuttall, A Learning Experience

“Getting what you want,” Captain James Montrose Fitzwilliam’s mother had once told him, “comes with a price.  You get what you want.”
― Christopher Nuttall, The Nelson Touch

“all human societies are ruled by the strong, those who are both willing and able to enforce their demands by force. On the micro scale, a father willing to spank his children wields more authority than a condoning parent; on the macro scale, a political leader willing to use force to get his way wields more authority than a leader unwilling to back up his words with action. And actions always speak louder than words”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Semper Fi

“The core of the problem was that the guild put the helm in the hands of people who had not even learnt to row. The apprentices were, in many cases, willing and eager to learn. They did not, however, understand just how much they had to learn. Some of the realities - and practical limitations - of their art could not be learnt, save through experience. They therefore voted for things that either could not or would not be delivered. And they didn’t want to listen to the masters, the people who did have the experience, because they weren’t telling them what they wanted to hear.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, The Family Pride

“...the ravenous monsters men called reporters; sub-human vermin who feed off misery and created it wherever they went.”
― Christopher Nuttall, The Nelson Touch

“Emily found her voice. “What ... what is that thing?” “I have absolutely no idea,” Harkin said.”
― Christopher Nuttall, Schooled in Magic

“The threat of force is worthless unless the person (or country) making the threats has both the demonstrated will and ability to actually carry out those threats. Talk is cheap; action rather less so. Indeed, the more threats a person makes that are ignored (and not then backed up) the more credibility they lose. Eventually, they reach a point where carrying out the threats becomes imperative, if only because no one believes that they will”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Semper Fi

“Because no religion is as good as its god. It is only as good as its followers. And some of those followers are worse than their gods.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Fists of Justice

“We’ve also had a great many complaints about tax evasion,” he added. “But we’ve been ignoring them, as per your suggestion.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Wedding Hells

“Fanatics can always come up with excuses for not thinking.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Desperate Fire

“the truth was the truth, therefore anyone who disputed it was a liar by definition. And once you accepted that a religion was true, you could use it to justify anything.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Fists of Justice

“properly-trained magician. The best swordsman in the world doesn’t fear the second best, Sergeant Miles had said. He fears the worst, because he doesn’t know what the idiot will do. Emily looked up at the battlements. It was hard to be sure, but”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Work Experience

“It’s cheaper to learn from someone else’s mistakes than your own, Sergeant Miles had said, years ago. And safer, too.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Graduation Day

“Boredom meant that no one was trying to kill you.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Cursed Command

“Oh, ‘TANSTAAFL.’ Means -There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.’ And isn’t,” I added, pointing to a FREE LUNCH sign across room, “or these drinks would cost half as much. Was reminding her that anything free costs twice as much in long run or turns out worthless.” “An interesting philosophy.” “Not philosophy, fact. One way or other, what you get, you pay for.” I fanned air. “Was Earthside once and heard expression ‘Free as air.’ This air isn’t free, you pay for every breath.” - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Heinlein in Reflection: Robert A. Heinlein in the 21st Century

“There was no lie —or false conclusion—so dangerous as the one you wanted to believe.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, The Oncoming Storm

“It’s easier to learn from defeat than victory,” William explained. “If you’re defeated, you cannot hide behind victory. You cannot allow yourself to believe that you won because you deserved to win, let alone that victory is the natural state of affairs for you. Right now there are people arguing that our victory was practically certain. They don’t bother to look at the factors that let us win because, hey, our victory was assured. And that’s dangerous because victory is never assured. Overconfidence is just as much a weakness as fanaticism.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Debt of War

“Loyalty is a two-way street.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Cursed Command

“his”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, The Trafalgar Gambit

“The media liked to paint the cities as fortresses of progressive thought, and the countryside as populated by rural hicks whose only source of entertainment was getting to second base with their cousins, but anyone with any sense knew better.  None of the political lines were so finely drawn.”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Science and Sorcery