Free institutions certainly exist, but a tradition of passivity and conformism restricts their use - a cynic might say that this is why they continue to exist.

Passivity may be the easy course, but it is hardly the honorable one.

It's very important for institutions of concentrated power to keep people alone and isolated: that way they're ineffective, they can't defend themselves against indoctrination, they can't even figure out what they think.

The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum....

The intellectual tradition is one of servility to power, and if I didn't betray it I'd be ashamed of myself.

The intellectual tradition is one of servility to power, and if I didn't betray it I'd be ashamed of myself.