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What is supposed to happen in a democracy is that each sovereign citizen will always vote in the public interest for the safety and welfare of all. But what does happen is that he votes his own self-interest as he sees it... which for the majority translates as 'Bread and Circuses'.

Robert A. Heinlein

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Robert A. Heinlein
Age: 80 †
Born: 1907
Born: July 7
Died: 1988
Died: May 8
Essayist
Literary Critic
Naval Officer
Novelist
Prosaist
Science Fiction Writer
Science Writer
Screenwriter
Stonemason
Writer
Butler
Missouri
Robert Anson Heinlein
Anson MacDonald
Lyle Monroe
John Riverside
Caleb Saunders
Simon York
Happens
Supposed
Circus
Doe
Majority
Translate
Self
Vote
Sovereign
Always
Citizens
Citizen
Democracy
Welfare
Happen
Sees
Circuses
Public
Bread
Translates
Interest
Safety
Votes

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A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future.
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Most 'scientists' are bottle washers and button sorters.
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The greatest fallacy of democracy is that everyone's opinion is worth the same.
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Unarmed hand-to-hand fighting does not change through the ages only the name changes, and it has only one rule: do it first, do it fast, do it dirtiest.
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Democracy's worst fault is that its leaders are likely to reflect the faults and virtues of their constituents.
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Many short-sighted fools think that going to the Moon was just a stunt. But the astronauts knew the meaning of what they were doing, as is shown by Neil Armstrong's first words in stepping down onto the soil of Luna: One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.
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Stupidity cannot be cured. Stupidity is the only universal capital crime the sentence is death. There is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.
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I think the major problem in growing up is to become sophisticated without becoming cynical.
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Ninety percent of all human wisdom is the ability to mind your own business.
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In a family argument, if it turns out you are right, apologize at once.
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Contemplation must bring forth right action in order to permit further growth.
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From my point of view, a great deal of openly expressed piety is insufferable conceit.
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How can I possibly put a new idea into your heads, if I do not first remove your delusions?
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A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.
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Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain.
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Democracy is a poor system of government at best the only thing that can honestly be said in its favor is that it is eight times as good as any other method the human race has ever tried.
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when faced with a problem you do not understand, do any part of it you do understand, then look at it again.
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Decency is not news it is buried in the obituaries - but it is a force stronger than crime.
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Small change can often be found under seat cushions.
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The bugs are not like us. The Pseudo-Arachnids aren’t even like spiders. They are arthropods who happen to look like a madman’s conception of a giant intelligent spider, but their organization, psychological and economic, is more like that of ants or termites they are communal entities, the ultimate dictatorship of the hive.
Robert A. Heinlein