I'm back!

It has been a  long time since I was active here but the arrival a new member has wakened me from my slumbers,or to be more accurate from my depression induced inactivity. Enjoy.

In the course of my life I have developed five little democratic questions. If one meets a powerful person--Adolf Hitler, Joe Stalin or Bill Gates--ask them five questions: “What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?” If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system.- Tony Benn

A Nation ... is a group of persons united by a common error about their ancestry and a common dislike of their neighbours. - Karl Deutsch, Nationality and Its Alternatives, 1969

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.-Thomas Jefferson

When a Goverment fears the people, They get Liberty, But when the people fear the Goverment, They get Tyranny. - Thomas Jefferson.

There are stars whose radiance is visible on earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark.- Hannah Szenes, 1921 - 1944

It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small. - Neil Armstrong

The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.- Philip K. Dick, 1928 - 1982

God has one Son who lived without sin, but he has no Son who lived without prayer.- Unknown

A little girl was taking a long journey, and in the course of the day her train crossed a number of rivers. The water seen in advance always awakened doubts and fears in the child. She did not understand how it could safely be crossed. As they drew near the river, however, a bridge appeared and furnished the way over. Several times the same thing happened, and finally the child leaned back with a long breath of relief and confidence: "Somebody has put bridges for us all the way." So God does likewise for His children all through life.- Unknown

It is not the babbling of our lips, nor dignity of our words, but the prayer of the heart is the offering that pleaseth, through the only means of his Son. For our prayer profiteth us, because we offer Christ to his Father. Whosoever resorteth to God without Christ, he resorteth in vain. Our prayer pleaseth because of Jesus Christ, whom we offer. So that it is faith, faith, faith is the matter. It is no prayer that is without faith, it is but a lip-labouring and mockery, without faith; it is but a little babbling.- Hugh Latimer

Whenever you're sitting across from some important person, always picture him sitting there in a suit of long red underwear. That's the way I always operated in business.- Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr, 1888 - 1969

Democracy is finished in England. It may be here.-Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr, 1888 - 1969

If you want to make money, go where the money is.=Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr, 1888 - 1969

We must get into the picture business. This is a new industry and a gold mine. It looks like another telephone industry.= Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr, 1888 - 1969 (Which is interesting coming from a man who made his money as a bootlegger)