Clif Hostetler

“I realized that war was monstrous. If it didn’t kill those it touched, it took away a piece of their souls, so they could never be whole again.”
― Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, The Mountains Sing

“[...] careerism is a depressing thing.”
― Seichō Matsumoto, Tokyo Express

“Why American history? Other nations have achieved greatness with less hubris and narcissism."

"Agreed. But America is a contradictory and precocious country, sir. We have, in a very short period of time, managed to commit venal sins against our own people and offer the world repeat examples of exceptionalism. Americans are greedy, brilliant, ambitious, and compassionate. We like to remind everyone about our genius, and yet our leaders make fun of smart people. In less than two centuries, we took over more than half a continent, placed a man on the moon, and invented the Clapper. I enjoyed the contrasts."

Wynn continued to watch her, with what Avery perceived as an ounce of amusement on his face. "A nation of favor and folly, one might say. Where justice is known but rarely seen.”
― Stacey Abrams, While Justice Sleeps

“I’ve come to think of culture this way: culture is to a group what personality is to an individual. It’s a collective character that describes a set of beliefs and behaviors that identify the group.”
― Debby Irving, Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race