In the United States, and to a certain extent in Canada, there's very little interest in what happens outside their borders.

Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of debt, they can't afford the time to think.

The general population doesn't know what's happening, and it doesn't even know that it doesn't know.

That's the standard technique of privatization: defund, make sure things don't work, people get angry, you hand it over to private capital.

Jingoism, racism, fear, religious fundamentalism: these are the ways of appealing to people if you're trying to organize a mass base of support for policies that are really intended to crush them.

There's a good reason why nobody studies history, it just teaches you too much.

The world is a very puzzling place. If you're not willing to be puzzled, you just become a replica of someone else's mind.

Democratic societies can't force people. Therefore they have to control what they think.

Nobody should have any illusions. The United States has essentially a one-party system and the ruling party is the business party.

If you want to control a population... give them a God to worship.

A language is not just words. It's a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It's all embodied in a language.

Be the light that inspires others to dream.

A Chinese poet many centuries ago noticed that to re-create something in words is like being alive twice.

Stigmas speak to the idea of difference and how difference shames us and those we know.

My definition of love is being full. Complete. It makes everything lighter. Beauty is something you see. Love is something you feel.

Nature eventually has her own way, so perhaps the best procedure is to accept what old Mother Nature or God, if you will, dictates. Accept it and you'll get along better.

I do, in fact, have a book club. I meet with a couple of guys once a month of a lunchtime discussion of some interesting text, usually, but not always, philosophical.

The New York Times carries as much weight as the FBI, and if the New York Times says there's nothing to see between Trump and Russia and Putin, then there's nothing to see.

John was great to work with, and a lot of fun. I wish Id had the chance to make more music with him, of course, and to get to know him better.

Use romantic relationships to grow, not to lose yourself. Keep your priorities in order.

I continued with whatever 'qualified climbers' I could con into this rather unpromising venture.