I like the distance that Europe gives me. Also if I stayed in America I'd be a full-time politician and have no time for writing, which is why I went to Europe to live in 1961.

We should stop going around babbling about how we're the greatest democracy on earth, when we're not even a democracy. We are a sort of militarised republic.

Commercialism is doing well that which should not be done at all.

In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights has required us to support those regimes that would deny freedom, democracy and human rights to their own people.

For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.

Fifty percent of people won't vote, and fifty percent don't read newspapers. I hope it's the same fifty percent.

You hear all this whining going on, "Where are our great writers?" The thing I might feel doleful about is: Where are the readers?