There is almost no country in Africa where it is not essential to know to which tribe, or which subgroup of which tribe, the president belongs. From this single piece of information you can trace the lines of patronage and allegiance that define the state.

One of the most repellent spectacles at election times is the pretense of piety on the part of people running for office.

It is only those who hope to transform human beings who end up by burning them, like the waste product of a failed experiment.

I do not believe any of the statistical claims that are made about public opinion. I don't see why anybody does.

I say that homosexuality is not just a form of sex, it's a form of love, and it deserves our respect for that reason.

The faithful believe that certain truths have been 'revealed.' The skeptics and secularists believe that truth is only to be sought by free inquiry and trial and error. Only one of those positions is dogmatic.

I have often thought that when I do die it will be of sheer boredom.