The case for trade is not just monetary, but moral. Economic freedom creates habits of liberty. And habits of liberty create expectations of democracy.

American foreign policy must be more than the management of crisis. It must have a great and guiding goal: to turn this time of American influence into generations of democratic peace.

In the defense of our nation, a president must be a clear-eyed realist. There are limits to the smiles and scowls of diplomacy. Armies and missiles are not stopped by stiff notes of condemnation. They are held in check by strength and purpose and the promise of swift punishment.

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.

If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.

Pathos, piety, courage, — they exist, but are identical, and so is filth. Everything exists, nothing has value.

Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty.

Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.

There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.

Our deeds are like children that are born to us; they live and act apart from our own will. Nay, children may be strangled, but deeds never: they have an indestructible life both in and out of our consciousness.