Nuggets and Aphorisms

Too often a false contrast is made between the impersonal marketplace and the compassionate policies of various government programs. But both systems face the same scarcity of resources and both systems make choices within the contraints of that scarcity. The difference is that one system involves each individual making choices for himself or herself, while the other system involves a smaller number of people making choices for millions of others.

Thomas Sowell in "Basic Economics."

A horse pulling a cart started to walk towards us, followed by other vehicles, then passersby - in short, all the hustle and bustle of a street. We sat with our mouths open, without speaking, filled with amazement.

George Méliès, describing his reaction on his first glimpse of moving pictures, in 1895. Quoted by Chandrahas Choudhury during an excellent review of Nagesh Kukunoor's Iqbal.

Economies are driven not by the dollars in people's pockets but by the ideas in their heads.

Jude Wanniski, quoted in a tribute to him by George Gilder.