“As it happens I am comfortable with the Michael Laskis of this world, with those who live outside rather than in, those in whom the sense of dread is so acute that they turn to extreme and doomed commitments; I know something about dread myself, and appreciate the elaborate systems with which some people manage to fill the void, appreciate all the opiates of the people, whether they are as accessible as alcohol and heroin and promiscuity or as hard to come by as faith in God or History.”
― Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays
― Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays
“Look at your body—
A painted puppet, a poor toy
Of jointed parts ready to collapse,
A diseased and suffering thing
With a head full of false imaginings.”
―
A painted puppet, a poor toy
Of jointed parts ready to collapse,
A diseased and suffering thing
With a head full of false imaginings.”
―
“America is at that awkward stage; it's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.”
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―
“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.”
― Quotes of Note: Brilliant Thoughts Arranged by Subject
― Quotes of Note: Brilliant Thoughts Arranged by Subject
“Dear Editor: Rousseau thought that democracy was a good idea, but unworkable. Plato recommended an intellectual aristocracy, with ‘philosopher kings’ using psychological manipulation to make the populace think they were living in a democracy. This is similar to the situation we’re living in today – only instead of his intellectual aristocracy, we have a plutocracy, with the plutocrats using psychological manipulation to make us think we’re living in a democracy. You can’t fool all the people all the time, but if you can manipulate most of the people most of the time, you’ve got it made. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking plutocracy. As John Jay said, the people who own the country should be running it. I certainly don’t want the man on the street running my country. What we have to do is convince the plutocrats that it would be in their best interests to narrow the income gap and distribute the necessities of life on a more equitable basis. Ray Sherman, Duarte, CA”
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John Schroeder’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at John Schroeder’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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