It doesn't matter what we think we are there [in Afghanistan] for; it matters what they think. They think we are invaders.

As the most religious country of the 18 surveyed, the U.S. also comes in with the highest rates for teen pregnancy and for gonorrhea and syphilis.

Take the year a country first reaches 50% literacy and add one or two generations to allow the idea to sink in and, democracy, more or less automatically, appears.

The scientists are really scared. Their [global warming] observations over the past two or three years suggest that everything is happening a lot faster than their climate models predicted.

The real requirement, if we are to avoid runaway global warming, is probably 80% by 2030, and almost no burning whatever of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) by 2050.

What makes the Arabs suitable candidates for democracy is their heritage as human beings, not their specific cultural or historical antecedents.

A sin is nothing more than regret. Not for doing it once, but doing it again when you know you’re going to regret it.

Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.

the basic principle of capitalism: that the penalties (losses) no less than the rewards (profits) of risk taking shall go to those who embark on a productive venture.

I write not only what I want to read...I write all the things I should have been able to read.

Human mercy is proof of having received divine mercy.

[To reporter who telephoned with news of her Oscar:] If you are joking me, I will get up immediately and kill you wherever you are.

I've never written anything that wasn't somewhat of a collaboration. I don't know how people do it on their own.

I didn't know how to run a business. I was a terrible gallerist, the worst in history, possibly.

In all honesty, I'm not able to talk about contracts. It's nothing with 'American Idol' in particular, it's just things I really need to take care of in my life.

All you can do is make something that you like and feel proud of and then just hope for the best and try to get out of its way.