“Disorder is inherent in stability. Civilized man doesn't understand stability. He's confused it with rigidity. Our political and economic and social leaders drool about stability constantly. It's their favorite word, next to 'power.'
'Gotta stabilize the political situation in Southeast Asia, gotta stabilize oil production and consumption, gotta stabilize student opposition to the government' and so forth.
Stabilization to them means order, uniformity, control. And that's a half-witted and potentially genocidal misconception. No matter how thoroughly they control a system, disorder invariably leaks into it. Then the managers panic, rush to plug the leak and endeavor to tighten the controls. Therefore, totalitarianism grows in viciousness and scope. And the blind pity is, rigidity isn't the same as stability at all.
True stability results when presumed order and presumed disorder are balanced. A truly stable system expects the unexpected, is prepared to be disrupted, waits to be transformed.”
― Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
'Gotta stabilize the political situation in Southeast Asia, gotta stabilize oil production and consumption, gotta stabilize student opposition to the government' and so forth.
Stabilization to them means order, uniformity, control. And that's a half-witted and potentially genocidal misconception. No matter how thoroughly they control a system, disorder invariably leaks into it. Then the managers panic, rush to plug the leak and endeavor to tighten the controls. Therefore, totalitarianism grows in viciousness and scope. And the blind pity is, rigidity isn't the same as stability at all.
True stability results when presumed order and presumed disorder are balanced. A truly stable system expects the unexpected, is prepared to be disrupted, waits to be transformed.”
― Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
“أفضل لابني أن يقرأ ألف كتاب و يجوع، على أن يأكل في هيلتون ويقرأ دفتر التلفون!”
― 100 فكرة وفكرة
― 100 فكرة وفكرة
“إذا خسر اليهود فإنهم سيعودون إلى البلاد التي أتوا منها، أما إذا خسرنا نحن، فسنخسر كل شيء”
― زمن الخيول البيضاء
― زمن الخيول البيضاء
“Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.”
― Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
― Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Ali’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Ali’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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