Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them.

His (Lenin's)humanitarianism was a very abstract passion. It embraced humanity in general but he seems to have had little love for, or even interest in, humanity in particular. He saw the people with whom he dealt, his comrades, not as individuals but as receptacles for his ideas. On that basis, and no other, they were judged. He judged man not by their moral qualities but by their views, or rather the degree to which they accepted his.

The most intimidating world leader was Lyndon Johnson, who became U.S. President when John Kennedy was assassinated. He exulted in this power and liked to inspire fear.

Euphemism is a human device to conceal the horrors of reality.

The richness and variety, and indeed the advance, of our culture depend upon the continuation of this conflict [between conservatives and radicals], which is deeply rooted in human nature.

As the CIA and KGB, like God and Satan, fight Miltonic battles across five continents.

The most evil person I ever met was a toss-up between Pablo Picasso and the publisher-crook Robert Maxwell.