Henry Steele Commager Quotes

Dissidents are despicable parasites

I don't need a certificate of my patriotism from those in the establishment.

...Americans...automatically equate dissension with disloyalty. They view any criticism of our existing social, economic, and political forms, as sedition and subversion. ...(" The growing reluctance of Americans to criticize, and their increasing tendency to condemn those who, in ever dwindling numbers, will still voice dissent") is disturbing, deplorable, and truly dangerous.

My books were attacked constantly by the Communist Party for not hewing to the Party line. I have never hewed to a Party line of any kind.

Unfortunately, our history has abundant examples of patriotism being used to hurt those who express views in disagreement with that of the majority.

The heights of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny.

It's so easy for propaganda to work, and dissent to be mocked.

A demagogue is a person with whom we disagree as to which gang should mismanage the country.

Truth is always the enemy of power. And power the enemy of truth.

There will always be authorities who try to make their own lives more comfortable by suppressing critical comment.

Down through the centuries, this trick has been tried by various establishments throughout the world. They force people to get involved in the kind of examination that has only one aim and that is to stamp out dissent.

No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.

Liberal: a power worshipper without power.

Every time you touch those who have power over the media, they seek to stop you.

My instincts are always against people who want to fasten some sort of hegemony onto things.

It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.

Totalitarianism is patriotism institutionalized.

Censorship always defeats it own purpose, for it creates in the end the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion.

Persecution is the first law of society because it is always easier to suppress criticism than to meet it.

In every society in human history, including the United States, those in power seek to imbue themselves with the attributes of religion and patriotism as a way of getting greater support for their policy and insulating themselves from any criticism.

After 9/11, I knew I wanted to write about power and identity and the way Americans on all sides of the political spectrum often mythologize our leaders, which are themes that the superhero genre has always handled really well.

The establishment is made up of little men, very frightened.

Communism was something so hideous that you had to be an exceptional conformist or a fool not to see the evil around you.

Power is what men seek and any group that gets it will abuse it.

You may not be thinking about politics, but politics is thinking about you.