"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and bamboozle requires intelligence, vigilance, dedication and courage. But if we don't practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us -- and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along."
-- Carl Sagan, "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection," Parade, February 1, 1987

 

 

"The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in times of adversity.  It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy and more selfish than a bureaucracy.  It denounces, as public enemies, all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes.  I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the bankers in the rear.  Of the two, the one at the rear is my greatest foe."
-- President Abraham Lincoln, letter to William Elkins, Nov 21, 1864