The need always to lie and always to avoid the truth stripped everyone of what Custine called 'the two greatest gifts of God-the soul and the speech which communicates it.' People became hypocritical, cunning, mistrustful, cynical, silent, cruel, and indifferent to the fate of others as a result of the destruction of their own souls.

There is nothing that an intellectual less likes to change than his mind, or a politician his policy.

The aim of untold millions is to be free to do exactly as they choose and for someone else to pay when things go wrong.

In claiming that prohibition, not the drugs themselves, is the problem, Nadelmann and many others - even policemen - have said that "the war on drugs is lost." But to demand a yes or no answer to the question "Is the war against drugs being won?" is like demanding a yes or no answer to the question "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" Never can an unimaginative and fundamentally stupid metaphor have exerted a more baleful effect upon proper thought.

Feeling good about yourself is not the same thing as doing good. Good policy is more important than good feelings.

Equality of Ugliness: If we can't all live in a beautiful place we must all live in an ugly place.

Where a reputation for intolerance is more feared than a reputation for vice itself, all manner of evil may be expected to flourish.