"Speaking of [Philip] Larkin, in his poem about the First World War he wrote something like, "Never such innocence, before or since, that turned itself to past without a word"."

“What distinguishes the historical social system we are calling historical capitalism is that in this historical system capital came to be used (invested) in a very special way. It came to be used with the primary objective or intent of self-expansion. In this system, past accumulations were 'capital' only to the extend they were used to accumulate more of the same.”

“That which distinguishes this day from all others is that then both orators and artillerymen shoot blank cartridges.”

“Telling the truth is the slow, mundane, difficult route to a meaningful life. Anything else is cheating.”

“To return after long years of painful absence to some place which has been the scene of our former joys, and whence the force of circumstance, and not choice, has driven us, is oppressive to the heart.”

Source : Samuel Lover (1843). “Handy Andy: A Tale of Irish Life”, p.363

“I'm old fashioned with my cell phone. I like that human contact and I think it's important.”

“It will do us little good to wire the world if we short circut our souls. There is no delete button for racism, poverty, or sectarian violence. No key stroke can ever clean the air, save a river, preserve a forest. This transformational new technology must be an extension of our hearts as well as of our mind.”

“But they're already singing our praises!" "They are Americans. They toot their horns for anything.”

“The only thought in the world that is worth anything is free thought. To free thought we owe all past progress and all hope for the future. Since when has any one made it appear that shackled thought could get on better than that which is free? Brains are a great misfortune if one is never to use them.”