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Gore Vidal Quotes - Page 4

All Quotes Advertising Age Alcohol Altruism Army Art Atheism Atheist Belief Business Character Children Choices Conspiracy Constitution Country Critics Culture Cynicism Democracy Dying Earth Energy Envy Evidence Evil Failing Genius Giving Gossip Greed Hate Home House Inspirational Islam Language Latin Liberty Literature Love Lying Memories Metaphor Pain Past Pleasure Politics Prejudice Prohibition Purpose Reading Reality Religion Running Sarcasm Stupidity Talent Truman War Winning Worship Writing Youth

Ultimately, totalitarianism is the only sort of politics that can truly serve the sky-god's purpose. Any movement of a liberal nature endangers his authority and that of his delegates on earth. One God, one King, one

Ultimately, totalitarianism is the only sort of politics that can truly serve the sky-god's purpose. Any movement of a liberal nature endangers his authority and that of his delegates on earth. One God, one King, one Pope, one master in the factory, one father-leader in the family at home.

Atheist, Kings, Father

Gore Vidal (1992). “The Decline and Fall of the American Empire”

The war against terror is like a war against dandruff. It's a metaphor. It's not about anything.

War, Metaphor, Terror

Our rulers for more than half a century have made sure that we are never to be told the truth about anything that our government has done to other people, not to mention our own.

Government, People, Done

Gore Vidal (2002). “Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated, Causes of Conflict in the Last Empire”, p.10, CLAIRVIEW BOOKS

In fact, life itself is a contradiction if only because birth is the direct cause, in every single case, of death

Causes, Facts, Birth

Gore Vidal (2002). “Creation: a novel”, Doubleday Books

We have been at war almost constantly since the last century. And it has not helped our institutions. Congress no longer represents the people. The courts do not practice justice any more. The armies never stop playing at being the policemen of the world and of oil.

War, Army, Practice

"The End of Gore Vidal". Interview with Lila Azam Zanganeh, www.guernicamag.com. August 15, 2012.

Never have children, only grandchildren.

Children, Humorous, Kids

Gore Vidal (1995). “Palimpsest: a memoir”

Most writers are middle-class and are the children of doctors or lawyers.

Children, Doctors, Class

"Fresh Air Remembers Writer And Critic Gore Vidal". www.npr.org. August 2, 2012.

All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting to encounter yourself.

Children, Parent, Forever

Gore Vidal (1968). “Weekend: A Comedy in Two Acts”, p.28, Dramatists Play Service Inc

We must declare ourselves, become known; allow the world to discover this subterranean life of ours which connects kings and farm boys, artists and clerks. Let them see that the important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.

Kings, Artist, Boys

There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.

Inspirational, People, Personality

FaceBook post by Gore Vidal from Jun 22, 2012

Once people get hung up on theology, they've lost sanity forever. More people have been killed in the name of Jesus Christ than any other name in the history of the world.

Jesus, Names, People

"Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

Whether you have an abortion, what you put in your own body, with whom you have sex - these are not affairs of the state. A government does not exist to control the citizens. When it does, it is a tyranny, and must be fought. The tree of liberty, Jefferson warned us, must be refreshed with the blood of tyrants and patriots.

Sex, Government, Blood

Interview with David Sheff, www.davidsheff.com. December 1987.

I think the Chinese will say the hell with you and pull their money out of the United States. That's the end of our wars.

War, Thinking, Chinese

"Gore Vidal on the Media and the American People". Interview with David Barsamian, www.sharedhost.progressive.org. August 1, 2012.

History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.

Past, Gossip, Might

"Gore Vidal, the Fantastic Man". "Butt", No. 20, April 7, 2007.

No reform ever came from the bottom, and it was always people who understood how the ruling class worked who turned out to be the reformers.

Class, People, Reform

"Fresh Air Remembers Writer And Critic Gore Vidal". www.npr.org. August 2, 2012.

Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. Shakespeare has perhaps 20 players. ... I have 10 or so, and thats a lot. As you get older, you become more skillful at casting them.

Writing, Player, Casting

On 16 September 1985, when the Commerce Department announced that the United States had become a debtor nation, the American Empire died.

Debtors, United States, Literature

Gore Vidal (1992). “The Decline and Fall of the American Empire”

A good deed never goes unpunished.

Deeds, Good Deeds

FaceBook post by Gore Vidal from May 29, 2011

By the time a man gets to be presidential material, he's been bought ten times over.

Men, Presidential, Political

"Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia". Documentary, www.imdb.com. 2013.

Americans are not only a less homogenous population than we were when we were 3 million ex-colonists, but we're less educated. On top of that, we have constant misinformation and manipulation by media.

Media, Manipulation, Population

Democracy is supposed to give you the feeling of choice, like Painkiller X and Painkiller Y. But they're both just aspirin.

Pain, Giving, Choices

1982 Interview in the Observer, 7 Feb.

I am savage about what has been done to the United States by its rulers.

United States, Savages, Done

"Fresh Air Remembers Writer And Critic Gore Vidal". www.npr.org. August 2, 2012.

Who gives a damn about being remembered? That's really for amateurs.

Giving, Damn, Remembered

These people [Bush Administration] are for the most part rip-off artists. Notice that they're all gas and oil men from Cheney, to the two Bushes; I think Rumsfeld also.

Rip, Artist, Men

In almost every case (where the United States has fought wars) our overwhelming commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights has required us to support those regimes that would deny freedom, democracy and human rights to their own people.

War, Commitment, Rights

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