George Bush made a mistake when he referred to the Saddam Hussein regime as 'evil.' Every liberal and leftist knows how to titter at such black-and-white moral absolutism.

What better way for a ruling class to claim and hold power than to pose as the defenders of the nation.

Totalitarian is a cliché, dictatorship is based on clichéd thinking, on very tried and tested uniform stuff. They don't mind that they're boring, they don't mind that they're obvious, their point is made.

Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.

Mockery of religion is one of the most essential things... one of the beginnings of human emancipation is the ability to laugh at authority.

There can be no progress without head-on confrontation.

I don't have any terrific self-esteem issues but I do sometimes realise I've been too lucky and that I'm over-praised. It makes me nervous. I have this sense of being overrated.