Alexander Solzhenitsyn on government

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?
The Gulag Archipelago (1973).
In our country the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State.
As quoted in The Observer (29 December 1974).
Untouched by the breath of God, unrestricted by human conscience, both capitalism and socialism are repulsive.
In his interview with Joseph Pearce. "An Interview with Alexander Solzhenitsyn." St. Austin Review 2 no. 2 (February, 2003)

One of the reasons people hate politics . . . . Cal Thomas

One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are. Cal Thomas

- Honesty, Politics, Truth, Integrity

French Pe Minister Inaugural Address: Sarkozy speech

Here are some key excerpts from the inauguration speech of France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, who succeeded Jacques Chirac at a handover ceremony in Paris.

• The people have given me a mandate. I will carry it out. I will carry it out scrupulously, with the desire to be worthy of the trust that the French have placed in me.
• I will defend the independence of France, I will defend the identity of France. I will ensure respect for state authority, and above all its impartiality.
• There is a demand for change. Never have the risks of inertia been so great for France as they are now in this world in flux, where everyone across the world is trying to change quicker than the others, where any delay can be fatal.
• I think about all the presidents of the Fifth Republic that preceded me. I think of General De Gaulle, who saved the Republic twice and who brought to France sovereignty, dignity and authority.
• I think of Jacques Chirac, who during 12 years fought for peace and brought the universal values of France to the whole world. I think of the role he played in making everyone realise the real possibility of ecological disaster and of our own responsibilities for future generations.
• I will fight for a Europe that protects because the European ideal is to protect the citizens of Europe.
• I will fight for a Mediterranean Union. By turning its back on the Mediterranean, France has turned its back on its past, and on its future.
• I will fight for the development of Africa because the destiny of Europe and that of Africa are indisputably linked.
• I will make the defence of human rights and the struggle against global warming priorities of France's diplomatic action in the world.
• The task will be difficult and it will take time.