The basic premise of the Constitution was a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances because man was perceived as a fallen creature and would always yearn for more power.
The whole basis of the Constitution was a restriction of power, and the whole basis of the federalist system was that there was not one sovereign centralized power from which all authority flows.
One of America's greatest strengths is the soft power of our value system and how we treat prisoners of war, and we don't torture.
Given the daunting challenges that we face, it's important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.
The fact is that more people have been slaughtered in the name of religion than for any other single reason. That, that my friends, is true perversion.
I'm not embarrassed about the novels I wrote when I was younger, but I couldn't write them today because of my religion.
I think that we are at a point in our country where we're trying to decide what role should religion play in the political arena.
In spite of the huge diversity in Malaysia in terms of religion, culture, race, ethnicity and so forth, we've really gone very far in developing this country.
I'm a modern Muslim. I pray, and if I have a question, I ask someone who is more educated in the religion than me.
Some of the world's most appalling abuses have been justified by religion because it is possible for people to find vindication in their scriptures for any of their prejudices.
General writing about science, even if we do it badly, helps us to see our work in perspective and broadens our vision.
There's always Tunisia. Amid the smoking ruins of the Middle East, there is that one encouraging success story.
I had my success too soon. Three books published with Scribner's in New York before I was 30.
But one way or another, judges perform a very vital function in our society. They have a risky job and they are entitled to security.
We still have tremendous work ahead of us to ensure that women have equal opportunities in the workplace and in our society.
The political system is broken, the economy is broken and so is society. That is why people are so depressed about the state of our country.
We do a disservice to society if we ignore the evidence which shows that stable families tend to be associated with better outcomes for children.
We are all equal, rich and poor, and we need a society where the people enjoy their rights.
If more people were actively engaged in advocating their positions I think we'd have a better society.
Society cannot exist without law. Law is the bond of society: that which makes it, that which preserves it and keeps it together. It is, in fact, the essence of civil society.
American society as a whole can never achieve the outer-reaches of potential, so long as it tolerates the inner cities of despair.
