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I’ve always wondered whether the theory of the divine right of kings was invented by the kings, to establish their authority over the people, or by the priests, to establish their authority over the kings. It works about as well one way as the other.

— H. Beam Piper The Complete Paratime (1947)

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More quotes by H. Beam Piper

Politics is nothing but common action to secure more favorable living conditions.

The Complete Paratime (1947)

A planet could take pretty good care of itself, he thought, if people would only leave it alone.

The Complete Paratime (1947)

For each man the world ends when he dies.

The Complete Paratime (1947)

Only the incompetent wait until the last extremity to use force, and by then, it is usually too late to use anything, even prayer.

A Slave is a Slave (1962)

“Bad luck!” Brannad Klav snorted. “That’s the standing excuse of every incompetent!”

The Complete Paratime (1947)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: H. Beam Piper (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.