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History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.

Ambrose Bierce

Forgetfulness – a gift of God bestowed upon debtors in compensation for their destitution of conscience.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Conscience Destitution Forget Gift God
Alliance – in international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other’s pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Each Other Hands International Separate Thief Union
Democracy is defended in 3 stages. Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box.
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Box Defend Democracy Stage
PAIN, n. An uncomfortable frame of mind that may have a physical basis in something that is being done to the body, or may be purely mental, caused by the good fortune of another.
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Body Fortune Goodness Purity Uncomfortable
Prescription: A physician’s guess at what will best prolong the situation with least harm to the patient.
AMBROSE BIERCE

Harm Patient Prescription Situation
Selfish, adj. Devoid of consideration for the selfishness of others.
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Avoid People Selfish
Distance, n. The only thing that the rich are willing for the poor to call theirs and keep.
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Call Distance Poor Rich Willing
Bore, n. A person who talks when you wish him to listen.
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Himself Listening Person Talk
The only distinction that democracies reward is a high degree of conformity.
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Confirm Degree Democracy Reward
Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.
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Angry Best Regret Talk Yourself
Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman’s power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
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Country Fools Freedom Instrument Power
Responsibility, n. A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one’s neighbor. In the days of astrology it was customary to unload it upon a star.
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Astrology Custom Easy Fate God Responsibility
Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm.
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Animal Digest Eat Goodness Man Science
Don’t steal; thou’lt never thus compete successfully in business. Cheat.
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Business Cheating Complete Steal Success
IMAGINATION, n. A warehouse of facts, with poet and liar in joint ownership.
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Fact Imagination Lying Poet
ARMOR, n. The kind of clothing worn by a man whose tailor is a blacksmith.
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Blacksmith Cloth Kind Man

History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.

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History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.

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Popular Authors

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