307 books
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121 voters
Had Machiavelli never lived and Nietzsche been consigned earlier in life to the asylum before he invented the myth of the superman, these ward lords in America and war lords in Europe would have gone their several ways.
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![H.L. Mencken](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/authors/1399814051i/7805._UX200_CR0,37,200,200_.jpg)
“The most erroneous assumption is to the effect that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence, and so make them fit to discharge the duties of citizenship in an enlightened and independent manner. Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.”
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![William T. Vollmann](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/authors/1393338082i/940746._UX200_CR0,14,200,200_.jpg)
“That was how I learned that no is stronger than yes. (Shostakovich already knew that.) It takes two yesses for I to become we, but only one no for we to break apart, no matter what the other party wishes.”
― Europe Central
― Europe Central
![66820](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/groups/1457406370p1/66820.jpg)
This month's book: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Next up is Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng! ...more
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Created by a fan of The Fifth Column podcast as a clearinghouse of all books mentioned on the show including recommendations and books by guests. Mode ...more
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