Quotes from Thomas E Ricks

was a moral victory simply to question the official presentation of truth and posit an alternative by documenting observable reality.

There are eight other instances in the book of Orwell noting the scents of his environment, most of them repugnant. There are two points to be made here. First, sensitivity to odor is a tic of much of his writing. Second, and more unsettling, it is the smell of humanity that repels him. When he notes the smells of nature, even of the barnyard, it is almost always with approval. In contrast, he is always ready to be horrified by mankind.

Collecting the facts is a revolutionary act. Insisting on the right to do so is perhaps the most subversive action possible

Work diligently to discern the facts of the matter, and then use your principles to respond. They

During the same Monte Carlo trip, Churchill, while waiting outside the casino for his car, was buttonholed by Frank Sinatra, the American singer, who rushed up to him and shook his hand, saying, "I've wanted to do that for twenty years." After the singer departed, a puzzled Churchill inquired of an assistant, "Who the hell was that?" Churchill

It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage.