Robert Heinlein

[Michael Bush]

My mother said violence never solves anything." "So?" Mr. Dubois looked at her bleakly. "I'm sure the city fathers of Carthage would be glad to know that."--Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

"Violence is the supreme authority from which all other authority derives"--Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

"Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor."--Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

"An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life."--Robert A. Heinlein, Beyond This Horizon

[qa33010]

Love those books!

[BeeMaster2]

Good quotes.
Jim Altmiller

[Live Oak]

George Washington:

[/A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined; to which end a Uniform and well digested plan is requisite: And their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories, as tend to render them independent on others, for essential, particularly for military supplies.quote]

[Michael Bush]

People are funny.  If you say something like:
"Violence is the supreme authority from which all other authority derives"--Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

Then they assume you are in favor of violence.  I'm not.  But in the end ALL authority is based on violence.  Try not paying your taxes.  They will come and take your house.  Don't want to give up your house?  Try to stop them and you will find that the reason you have to pay taxes is they will use violence to make you.  It is a last resort, yes, but the threat is always there.

When Jordan Peterson points out that one reason there is a limit to how far a man will push an argument is that he knows if he pushes it far enough he will have to defend it with violence.  People are civilized because they know this and take it into account.  Yet when someone like him points this out, people assume he is advocating violence.  He is not.  He's pointing out reality.

[CoolBees]

That's a very accurate analysis of Mankind. Well said.