We are telling veterans they must sacrifice to pay for the pet projects and contracts to campaign donors of powerful members of Congress.

Some people suggest that the problem is the separation of powers. If you had a parliamentary system the struggle for power would not result in such complex peace treaties that empower so many different people to pursue so many contradictory aims.

Some think that by preparing to deal with crises you make them more likely. I think the wiser judgment is the contrary. In this area at least if you want peace or stability it's better to prepare for war or instability.

That was my first lesson from Ben-Gurion. Then I saw him making peace and I saw him making war. He mobilized me before the war. The man was a very rare combination between a real intellectual and a born leader. There is a contradiction between the two.

We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior.

Whatsoever is contrary to nature is contrary to reason and whatsoever is contrary to reason is absurd.

As a means of contrast with the sublime the grotesque is in our view the richest source that nature can offer.

Miracles are not contrary to nature but only contrary to what we know about nature.

Consistency is contrary to nature contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead.

Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature. Never try to correct them. On the contrary: rationalize them understand them thoroughly. After that it will be possible for you to sublimate them.