Quotes of the day

This first one is very appealing for those of us concerned about the direction in which the country is headed.  Almost too appealing to be true.  And indeed, if there's any evidence that Edward Gibbon ever said this, it is well hidden.  Nor is the context self-evident.

In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all - security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.

-- Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) English historian and Member of Parliament

The lack of any provenance for that one leads to the second quote of the day:

If you can put your sentiments in the mouth of a well-respected historical figure, people who agree with them will suspend disbelief and spread them around the internet.

- Abraham Lincoln