Molly Ivins quotes - page 2

The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion. (Molly Ivins)
The thing is this: You got to have fun while you're fightin' for freedom, 'cause you don't always win. View quote
Molly Ivins
I have been attacked by Rush Limbaugh on the air, an experience somewhat akin to being gummed by a newt. It doesn't actually hurt, but it leaves you with slimy stuff on your ankle. View quote
Molly Ivins
You look at the large problems that we face - that would be overpopulation, water shortages, global warming and AIDS, I suppose - all of that needs international cooperation to be solved. View quote
Molly Ivins
Being slightly paranoid is like being slightly pregnant - it tends to get worse. View quote
Molly Ivins
It is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle to extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in America. View quote
Molly Ivins
Behind a smoke screen of high-profile female appointees and soothing slogans, George W. Bush is waging war on women. View quote
Molly Ivins
And the funny thing is, I've always been an optimist - it's practically a congenital disorder with me. View quote
Molly Ivins
You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to. View quote
Molly Ivins
If you really wanted to settle down the Middle East, if what you wanted was change in the Middle East, it is perfectly obvious that the first step is resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. View quote
Molly Ivins
There are two kinds of humor. One kind that makes us chuckle about our foibles and our shared humanity -- like what Garrison Keillor does. The other kind holds people up to public contempt and ridicule -- that's what I do. Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful. I only aim at the powerful. When satire is aimed at the powerless, it is not only cruel -- it's vulgar. -quoted in People magazine interview, 1991. (Molly Ivins)
I just finished with nine months of treatment for cancer. First they poison you, then they mutilate you, then they burn you. I've had more fun. And when it's over, you're so glad that you're grateful to absolutely everyone. And I am. The trouble is, I'm not a better person. I was in great hopes that confronting my own mortality would make me deeper, more thoughtful. Many lovely people sent books on how to find a more spiritual meaning in life. My response was, "Oh, hell, I can't go on a spiritual journey-I'm constipated." View quote
Molly Ivins
I assume we can defeat Hussein without great cost to our side (God forgive me if that is hubris). The problem is what happens after we win. The country is 20 percent Kurd, 20 percent Sunni and 60 percent Shiite. Can you say, 'Horrible three-way civil war?' View quote
Molly Ivins
Many people did not care for Pat Buchanan's speech; it probably sounded better in the original German. View quote
Molly Ivins
When politicians start talking about large groups of their fellow Americans as 'enemies,' it's time for a quiet stir of alertness. Polarizing people is a good way to win an election, and also a good way to wreck a country. View quote
Molly Ivins
The trouble with blaming powerless people is that although it's not nearly as scary as blaming the powerful, it does miss the point. Poor people do not shut down factories... Poor people didn't decide to use 'contract employees' because they cost less and don't get any benefits. View quote
Molly Ivins
Naturally, when it comes to voting, we in Texas are accustomed to discerning that fine hair's-breadth worth of difference that makes one hopeless dipstick slightly less awful than the other. But it does raise the question: Why bother? View quote
Molly Ivins
Havin' fun while freedom fightin' must be one of those lunatic Texas traits we get from the water - which is known to have lithium in it - because it goes all the way back to Sam Houston, surely the most lovable, the most human, and the funniest of all the great men this country has ever produced. View quote
Molly Ivins
I've always found it easier to be funny than to be serious. View quote
Molly Ivins
So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was. View quote
Molly Ivins