"To permit irresponsible authority is to sow disaster; to hold a man responsible for anything he does not control is to behave with blind idiocy. The unlimited democracies were unstable because their citizens were not responsible for the fashion in which they exerted their sovereign authority . . . other than through the tragic logic of history. The unique 'poll tax' that we must pay was unheard of. No attempt was made to determine whether a voter was socially responsible to the extent of his literally unlimited authority. If he voted the impossible, the disastrous possible happened instead—and responsibility was then forced on him willy-nilly and destroyed both him and his foundationless temple."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Starship_Troopers
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Starship Troopers
38 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Starship Troopers →
Related Quotes
"That old saw about "to understand all is to forgive all" is a lot of tripe. Some things, the more you understand the …"
"I always get the shakes before a drop. I've had the injections, of course, and hypnotic preparation, and it stands to…"
"Rasczak's Roughnecks have got a reputation to uphold. The Lieutenant told me before he bought it to tell you that he …"
"My mother said violence never solves anything." "So?" Mr. Dubois looked at her bleakly. "I'm sure the city fathers of…"
"… I was not making fun of you personally; I was heaping scorn on an inexcusably silly idea — a practice I shall alway…"
"But if you want to serve and I can't talk you out of it, then we have to take you, because that's your constitutional…"
"Don't you know about SGT's? ... They don't have mothers. Just ask any trained private." He blew smoke towards us. "Th…"
"I made a very important discovery at Camp Currie. Happiness consists in getting enough sleep. Just that, nothing more…"
"There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men."
"Come on, you apes! You wanta live forever?"