A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
– Aristotle
In the end, more than [the Athenians] wanted freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free.
– Edward Gibbon
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary
– H. L. Mencken
For those that have followed the “Bush Playing American Christians for Suckers” discussion, these quotes are worth considering.
Is Al-Qaeda behind the California fires? Fox News investigates.
The latest hobgoblin being dangled before our eyes is Timothy McVeigh, who will supposedly be replicated by the 9/11 activists if they are not silenced. After their outburst on the set of Bill Maher’s show made national news, Glenn Beck dropped the “Timothy McVeigh” bomb as he contemplated the danger posed by the truthers.
http://www.911blogger.com/node/12137
I predict we will see a lot more of this scary name. It may even rival “anti-semite” and “holocaust denier,” which Popular Mechanics shill James Meigs trotted out at the end.
This was not long after “conservative” talk show host Gordon Bloyer called for the arrest and prosecution of Alex Jones on charges of treason for claiming 9/11 was an inside job, and thereby harming our country’s efforts to fight the terrorists. As you watch the video, be sure and notice the body-flag Bloyer has wrapped himself in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1IoFA9M-oc
The irony is that Beck, a Mormon, is calling “crazy” people who believe in a theory which is backed by objective evidence; whereas, he has trusted his eternal salvation in the hands of a religion based on the testimony of a convicted peep-stoner who saw men walking on the moon.