WIST Quotations

Watterson, Bill -- Calvin and Hobbes (1995-01-19)

Dave — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 20:30:26 +0000

CALVIN: I’m thinking of starting my own talk radio show. I’ll spout simplistic opinions for hours on end, ridicule anyone who disagrees with me, and generally foster divisiveness, cynicism, and a lower level of public dialogue!

HOBBES: It would seem you were born for the job.

CALVIN: Imagine getting paid to act like a six-year-old!

Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1995-01-19)
(Source)

Orwell, George -- Essay (1945-05), “Notes on Nationalism,” Polemic Magazine (1945-10)

Dave — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 14:22:05 +0000

Political or military commentators, like astrologers, can survive almost any mistake, because their more devoted followers do not look to them for an appraisal of the facts but for the stimulation of nationalistic loyalties.

George Orwell (1903–1950) English journalist, essayist, writer [pseud. of Eric Arthur Blair]
Essay (1945-05), “Notes on Nationalism,” Polemic Magazine (1945-10)
(Source)

Adams, Franklin P. -- Nods and Becks, “Inside ‘Information, Please!'” (1944)

Dave — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 02:52:00 +0000

When the political columnists say “Every thinking man,” they mean themselves, and when candidates appeal to “Every intelligent voter,” they mean everybody who is going to vote for them.

Franklin Pierce Adams (1881–1960) American journalist and humorist ["F. P. A."]
Nods and Becks, “Inside ‘Information, Please!'” (1944)
(Source)

Stewart, Jon -- Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, closing speech (2010-10-30)

Dave — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 22:08:30 +0000

The country’s 24 hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen — or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected, dangerous flaming ant epidemic. If we amplify everything we hear nothing.

Jon Stewart (b. 1962) American satirist, comedian, and television host. [b. Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz]
Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, closing speech (2010-10-30)
(Source)

Video.

~Other -- Donald Gannon

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Where facts are few, experts are many.

(Other Authors and Sources)
Donald Gannon