What you propose to do today is to bring civilization to a lawless corner of the world. I know that you claim more modest ambitions. But when the pro… - Michael Swanwick

" "

What you propose to do today is to bring civilization to a lawless corner of the world. I know that you claim more modest ambitions. But when the protection of law is extended to the innocent and weak, that is civilization. Now I hold that in the natural state, there are only two kinds of people in the world—the men with guns, and the victims. And the one kind feeds off the other.

English
Collect this quote

About Michael Swanwick

Michael Swanwick (born November 18, 1950) is an American science fiction and fantasy author.

Enhance Your Quote Experience

Enjoy ad-free browsing, unlimited collections, and advanced search features with Premium.

Related quotes. More quotes will automatically load as you scroll down, or you can use the load more buttons.

Additional quotes by Michael Swanwick

Go Premium

Support Quotewise while enjoying an ad-free experience and premium features.

View Plans
“Your collection is not a woman. That’s only a metaphor—an abstraction! You’ll be dying for nothing, for a principle that nobody else can even comprehend.”
As she spoke, Jane became convinced that she herself would never willingly die for a principle. She might feel guilty about it, but she’d smile and lie, knuckle under, pretend, anything, in order to survive. It made her feel a little sad to realize this, but also, at the same time, very adult.

Loading...