Why are We at War? Quotes

“Saddam, for all his crimes, did not have a hand in September 11, but President Bush is a philosopher. September 11 was evil, Saddam is evil, all evil is connected. Ergo, Iraq.”
― Norman Mailer, Why are We at War?

“[...] In a country where values are collapsing, patriotism becomes the handmaiden to totalitarianism. The country becomes the religion. We are asked to live in a state of religious fervor: Love America! Love it because America has become a substitute for religion. But to love your country indiscriminately means that critical distinctions begin to go. And democracy depends upon these distinctions.

A good Englishman has a certain sense of the complexity of his national life. Even if he rides to hounds. The British have memory in a way we don't. That is the scariest single thing about American democracy to me: We don't have roots the way other countries do. Relatively, we are without deep traditions. So the transition from democracy to totalitarianism could happen quickly.”
― Norman Mailer, Why are We at War?