"Terrorism is the tactic of demanding the impossible, and demanding it at gunpoint"
- Christopher Hitchens
About this Quote
This quote by Christopher Hitchens speaks to the power of terrorism as a tool of coercion. By demanding the impossible and doing so at gunpoint, terrorists have the ability to require their victims into submission. This quote highlights the power of worry and intimidation that terrorists utilize to accomplish their objectives. It also speaks with the futility of attempting to work out with terrorists, as they are not interested in compromise or negotiation. Rather, they want to utilize violence and worry to get what they desire. This quote serves as a pointer of the power of terrorism and the need to take it seriously. It likewise works as an alerting to those who might be lured to work out with terrorists, as it is likely to be an unproductive endeavor.
"What is real is not the external form, but the essence of things... it is impossible for anyone to express anything essentially real by imitating its exterior surface"
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at and repair"
