Never

by Ken Follett

“Smart conservatives know that you can’t stop change but you can slow it down. That way people have time to get used to new ideas, and you don’t suffer an angry reaction. Liberals make the mistake of demanding radical change now, and that undermines them.”

How very true.

He was handsome and intelligent and witty, and she had married him for all those reasons and because she did not want to be lonely.

How many marriages are driven by a fear of being alone?

So I asked, isn’t it more important to know about atrocities committed by our own country than by other countries?

“Whatever you do, work it out with Ms. Judd and Mr. Newbegin. Don’t dream something up, then spring it on them. The more they think it’s their idea, the more they’ll support it.”

but look, you have to fall in and out of love a few times before you begin to understand what you’re really looking for.”

“I was more serious than she was, and I found out the hard way.”

“When you know her so well that all her faults and weaknesses are familiar to you, and you still adore her, then you can be sure it’s true love,” she had said. “That’s how I feel about your father.”

The Chinese had thought they were in danger when they were poor and weak. They had been wrong. No one had seriously wanted to wipe them out then. But now China was on its way to becoming the richest and most powerful country in the world. It had the largest and smartest population and there was no reason why it should not be foremost. And so it was in serious danger.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t I suppose.