The Quotation Of The Day Mailing List
Quotation of the Day for December 31, 2003
At spontaneous moments, when order threatens to break down, the soldiers, aviators and marines jump in and coach the Iraqis on the customs and habits of democracy. They try to weave that fabric of civic trust that can't be written into law, but without which freedom becomes anarchy.
For example, in a New Yorker article, George Packer describes an incident in the life of Capt. John Prior. He was inside a gas station when a commotion erupted outside. A mob of people was furiously accusing a man of butting in line and stealing gasoline. Prior established that the man was merely a government inspector checking the quality of the fuel. Frazzled and exhausted, Prior took the chance to teach the mob a broader lesson: "The problem is that you people accuse each other without proof! That's the problem!"
- David Brooks, "Boots on the Ground, Hearts on Their Sleeves," New York Times, December 2, 2003, A31.
[The submitter notes: This is written without hint of irony.]
Submitted by: Robert Hariman
Dec. 3, 2003