Editors From The United States

"Max Eastman, one of the foremost writers and teachers of the country, went to Fargo, North Dakota, to deliver a lecture on "Democracy." A great crowd evidently interested in the thing we were fighting to make the world safe for, gathered in the court to listen to what he had to say. A drunken mob, led by a judge and a "very respectable" attorney, invaded the "temple of justice" and would have murdered Max Eastman but for the sublime heroism and unflinching courage of a woman. An attempted murder of Max Eastman was flaunted as an exhibition of the "spirit of Americanism.""

"I saw in the tombs in New York City a tiny, half-starved scrap of girlhood that should have been in a grade school, who was sentenced to twenty years at hard labor for saying that President Wilson was a hypocrite, and that girl is now serving this monstrous sentence with Stars and Stripes the emblem of freedom, justice, and democracy, flying over the hell-hole in which she is imprisoned."

"we Socialists know that hookworms in the tummy and revolutionary thoughts in the brain cannot exist in the same man at the same time."

"An efficient man is a rebellious man. And anything that raises the efficiency of the working class will speed the revolution."

"Soon the country was overrun by spies, seeking not German vandals but Americans who held ideas and beliefs differing from the administration. Soon every vicious element in our society was hot on the trail of every man or woman who had ever stood for social justice and industrial democracy, and found it an easy matter to railroad them to prison. It was only necessary to cry "disloyal," "seditious," "pro-German," "un-American," and like the witches of old the leaders of the working class were hounded, imprisoned and murdered."

"We have learned by long and bitter experience that when the "kept press" assails a thing, that it must be something very beneficial to the working class; that when the newspapers slander and villify an individual or movement may be serving the masses and endangering the privileged classes."

"Bolshevism is a new word, but the charges brought against it and its supporters have a strangely familiar sound-we seem to remember them of old. Privilege is so sterile of ideas; so barren of imagination, that it has not been able to think of one new lie; to concoct one fresh slander; to turn one new trick or say one new thing about Bolshevism that has not already been worn to tatters in the assaults upon abolition of slavery, trade unionism, woman's suffrage, Socialism, the Non-Partisan League and the I. W. W."

"What this embassy needs is more killers and less bureaucrats."

"“There’s a possibility that I’m wrong.” “That’s the first rational thing you’ve said.”"

"“A moral assassin,” she said with an amused smile. “Not everyone gets into this business because they like to kill people,” he replied. “Then why do you do it?” “Because I find all forms of business distasteful,” answered Chandler. “This one pays me enough so that I don’t have to work very often.”"

"“You haven’t changed at all, Carlos. You never trusted anyone or anything.” “Maybe that’s why I’m still alive.”"

"“Don’t believe everything you hear,” said the Mouse. Ryan laughed again. “If I believed half of what I heard, I’d be dead and buried already.”"

"“Why did you ever like him, Mouse?” asked Penelope. “I was lonely,” said the Mouse with a sigh, “and sometimes lonely people make poor choices.”"

"“Look,” said Chandler. “Either we’ve got free will or we don’t. If we do, then we are doing the right thing. If we don’t, then we can’t do anything else, anyway. So what’s the point of worrying about it?” “Because we can stop right now if we decide to.” He smiled. “And how will you know that the Oracle didn’t change her mind and choose a future in which we stopped?” She wearily leaned back on the chair. “Where does it end?” “Second guessing fate?” asked Chandler. “Never. That’s why it’s a good idea not to start.”"

"If he used Company ships and personnel to stop an alien invasion, somebody someday might file a report that would be the only sort of report that the bureaucracy handled with the speed of lightning: that someone was bypassing the bureaucracy."

"Even if I grant your supposition, you ought to know as well as anyone that all that counts are appearances. Reality is irrelevant, particularly to the government, so long as the paperwork’s right."

"“There’s no time to waste, sir. The longer we wait, the greater the chance that we will commit an act that will land us in the pits of hell for all eternity.” “I wonder what an eternity of hell must be like?” mused the gasbag-Pierce, postponing the inevitable for another moment. “I always thought it must be like being locked in a theater that plays endless reruns of Ann Rutherford movies,” offered Arro.” “Really?” asked the gasbag-Pierce, interested. “I pictured it as trying to open a childproof bottle of aspirin until the universe finally fell into the thrall of entropy.” “May I respectfully point out that we have every chance of discovering what eternal damnation is like if you don’t do something very soon, sir?”"

"He reminds me of my little sister, Sweetie-pie Bubba-Sue Goldberg. The only thing that’s kept me from smothering her in her sleep is that she was accidentally cryogenically frozen at the age of thirteen. Daddy’s spent a fortune on research scientists. They’re looking for a cure for adolescence."

"To paraphrase J. B. S. Haldane, the universe not only held more red tape than anyone imagined; it held more red tape than anyone could imagine."

"Everybody knows that the whole purpose of bureaucracy and red tape is so that, even as it creates a full employment economy, it’s impossible to blame anyone for anything!"

"“As for talking business,” he continued carefully, “I haven’t heard any offers yet.” “You’re still alive,” said MacLemore. “That’s not necessarily a permanent condition.”"

"“Well, it’s a practical approach,” she conceded. “But it’s not very satisfying. I think an animal in the forest might have that same viewpoint.” “I spend most of my life with the animals in the forest,” replied Chandler. “Very few of them have high blood pressure or heart attacks. Maybe they know something we don’t know.” “They don’t know anything,” said Jade. “They just react.” “They stay warm and dry and well fed,” he noted. “When all is said and done, that’s all most humans are really trying to do.”"

"“For the longest time I thought my future would be in ornithology and taxidermy, but eventually I found men more interesting than animals.” Suddenly he grinned. “Or at least, more in need of leadership.” “Well, we’ve come to the right place,” replied Boyes. “I think the Congo is probably more in need of leadership than most places.”"

"In a totalitarian society, the most valuable commodity is information, since the government guards it so jealously."

"“I obviously have more faith in these people than you do, John.” “Maybe that’s because I know them better.”"

"“How bad are things going to get?” “Worse, I think, than either of us can imagine.” It was an understatement."

"“I notice that the power’s off.” “It comes and goes.” “And the water?” “If I don’t boil it for coffee, I purify it.” “Does anything work anymore?” “The weapons, of course—though I’m told he can’t get spare parts for them. And the roads, so he can move his army quickly from one spot to another. Not much else. Mail service is sporadic at best, and the phones haven’t worked in months.” “That’s what happens when you start by killing off the intellectuals and the technicians.” “How did you know he’d done that?” “Eventually it’s what all dictators do. Usually they build the roads first, though.”"

"“Nobody wins in a war.” “Nonsense, Arthur. That sounds great in a university lecture or a book, but the fact is that someone always wins. Who do you think writes the history books? The winners.”"

"“You sound like a pessimist, Yank,” said Roosevelt. “Pessimism and realism are next-door neighbors on this continent, Teddy,” said Rogers."

"“It wouldn't work,” said Page. “Why?” “Because you're a machine. You're simply reporting facts, and facts have very little to do with truth.” “That is contradictory, Nate.” “Only to a machine,” replied Page."

"“Sue me, but I just don't see any need to be this artsy-fartsy.” “I’m trying to create a work of art, damn it!” said Page, exasperated. “Works of art appeal to the masses, Nate; they don't hold them in contempt or try to drive them away.”"

"Man sells his soul to the devil, he spends the rest of his life trying to stockpile enough money to buy it back."

"No matter what kind of promises a man who’s looking for power makes, he’s not going to turn out to be any different from the one he replaces."

"Somewhere along the way he learned the most important lesson of all, which was that a king with no heirs had better never turn his back on anybody."

"“You never did tell me why you became a bounty hunter.” “I’d been a terrorist for twelve years. The only thing I knew how to do really well was kill people.”"

"“Still,” he added, “I thank you for your concern. When the election is over, I will remember who my friends are.” “I just hope you remember who your enemies are before the election is held,” said Beddoes sincerely.”"

"“You know, things couldn’t get this screwed up by chance,” he said, more to himself than to the computer, which in Pierce’s opinion was merely the latest in a long line of things that had been screwed up. “It took a long, hard, concerted effort.”"

"I’m trying to tell you that you can trust me because I’m motivated by the most basic human emotion: greed."

"“He talked to me about my place in the organization.” “And?” “As long as I ask his permission every time I feel like inhaling or exhaling, I'm sure we'll get along just fine.”"

"She smiled. “Well, you wanted to be a scriptwriter.” “Not really,” he replied wryly. “I just wanted to be rich and famous.”"

"“That's a very small comfort, to me or to him,” said Christina bitterly. “I’m a scientist,” answered Robert apologetically. “I’m better at analyzing problems than finding comforting things to say about them.”"

"“You're almost an hour late!” continued Murray Carnegie harshly. “I’d prefer to think that everyone else was an hour early,” said Page."

"“Why not borrow from something more recent?” she asked. “I don't mind consciously swiping from plays that no one has ever heard of,” he replied. “But I don't want to inadvertently steal a character or a story line that might be familiar.” He smiled. “It's the difference between research and plagiarism.”"

"And, predictably, he has taken every such gesture as a sign of weakness. You can't reach an accommodation with a man like this; you have to fight him."

"“He was a very dangerous man.” “He was a very brilliant man.” “I know. That’s what made him so dangerous.”"

"“He's got to have a weakness somewhere.” “Most men do,” said Fiona, commanding the doors to open. “Even a moral man like Thomas Gold.” “I like moral men the best.” “Oh?” she said, stepping into the elevator. “Why is that?” Constantine smiled. “They always make the loudest crash when they fall.”"

"I don’t know how to tell you this gently, Mr. Bello, but you’re yesterday’s news."

"The one thing Vainmill has in common with all governments and major corporations is that it abhors scandals."

"“Christina, you shouldn't say that about your brother,” said Gold. “He happens to be the most righteous man I've ever been privileged to know.” “That's just the kind of man who will commit any crime without compunction if he's convinced he's right,” said Christina."

"True representations are for libraries. Happy, exciting stories are for audiences."