I have read descriptions of Paradise that would make any sensible person stop wanting to go there.

It is necessary from the very nature of things that power should be a check to power.

The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded.

We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our school-masters, and one from the world. The third contradicts all that the first two teach us.

There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.

Every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law.

A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

Liberty... is there only when there is no abuse of power.

Knowledge humanizes mankind, and reason inclines to mildness; but prejudices eradicate every tender disposition.

When you break rules, break 'em good and hard

Jazz was my first love.

I didn't mind being unpopular at school, because everyone else was a heathen.

Well I think they broke the mould when they made me and being humble is one of my great assets.

I wasn't for Vietnam. When I told that to the hippie newspaper, all my people got nervous.

With stand-up, you can be as freeform as you want to be. You can say what you want, how you want, at any moment without constraint.

Today, I guess I give a lot more thought to the roles before I sign them.

When people know we are ready to use nuclear weapons, they're going to back off if we do something aggressive. So basically, nuclear weapons are always being used.

Listen to your fear but don't obey it.

The best time to do something significant is between yesterday and tomorrow.