George Packer Quotes

George Packer
George Packer
American Novelist
Born: Aug 13, 1960
American People Politics War World You
Related authors: Elie Wiesel Ernest Hemingway H. P. Lovecraft James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Nathaniel Hawthorne Richard Bach
While starving refugees in Homs were providing target practice for government snipers, Bashar al-Assad's strongest international backer was in Sochi, at the Iceberg Skating Palace, visibly moved, smiling with deep satisfaction, as the Russians beautifully glided and leaped their way to the gold medal in the team event. George Packer
Government Practice Starving Way Visibly Strongest Russians Leaped Smiling Beautifully Were Providing Target Refugees Gold Moved Gold Medal While Skating Iceberg Team International Deep Medal Satisfaction Event Palace
No one pretends anymore that the Olympics are just about sports. It's routine to talk about what effect holding the Games in this or that capital will have on the host country's international reputation, how a nation's prestige can be raised by its medal count. George Packer
Sports Will Country Nation Holding Reputation Prestige Pretends About Host Count No-One Talk How Effect Just Anymore Capital Games International Medal Routine Raised Olympics
It's a cliche that the Senate is broken, and like most cliches, it's true. George Packer
Broken True Like Most Cliche Cliches Senate
Too many talented and supremely calculating politicians, including Nixon and Clinton, have destroyed their careers, or come close, by acting in ways that were obviously against their own interests. George Packer
Own Politicians Too Ways Destroyed Nixon Talented Calculating Come Obviously Supremely Were Clinton Close Against Interests Acting Many Including Careers
It might not be wise for a sometime political journalist to admit this, but the 2016 campaign doesn't seem like fun to me. George Packer
Me Wise Political Journalist Admit Seem Sometime Like Campaign Might Fun
As America has grown less economically equal, a citizen's ability to move upward has fallen behind that of citizens in other Western democracies. We are no longer the country where anyone can become anything. George Packer
Democracy Citizen Country Become Other Citizens Ability Economically Longer Equal Fallen Western America Move Behind Where Anyone Anything Upward Less Grown
'The Assassins' Gate' is a very tightly controlled story of the ideas that led to the war and the consequences of those ideas in Iraq, and there is no doubt about where it is going and what kind of groundwork is being laid. George Packer
War Doubt Consequences Those Kind No Doubt About Ideas Tightly Led Iraq Very Controlled Going Being Where Laid Story Assassins Groundwork Gate
If you've ever left a bag of clothes outside the Salvation Army or given to a local church drive, chances are that you've dressed an African. George Packer
You Army Church Drive Clothes Local Dressed Given Outside Bag Left Salvation African Ever Chances
All over Africa, people are wearing what Americans once wore and no longer want. Visit the continent, and you'll find faded remnants of secondhand clothing in the strangest of places. George Packer
You People Secondhand Once Visit Find Wearing Faded Longer Over Continent American Africa Clothing Want Places Wore Strangest
What I found in Silicon Valley is an industry that's sort of been kept a very far remove from Washington and had an attitude of 'Just let us do our thing and make the miracles that people love around the world and leave us alone.' George Packer
Love Attitude Alone People World Miracles Remove Our Valley Silicon Silicon Valley Had Make Industry Sort Around Leave Been Very Just Far Us Washington Let Us Found Thing Kept
The next great technology revolution might be around the corner, but it won't automatically improve most people's lives. That will depend on politics, which is indeed ugly but also inescapable. George Packer
Politics Great Technology People Ugly Will Revolution Depend Corner Indeed Most Also Around Inescapable Improve Automatically Which Might Next Lives
The libertarian worship of individual freedom, and contempt for social convention, comes easiest to people who have never really had to grow up. George Packer
Freedom People Worship Libertarian Easiest Individual Individual Freedom Never Had Contempt Up Convention Social Really Who Grow Grow Up
I thought Obama was in a position to do some things. I thought 2008 was a turning point in history, with him and the Wall Street crash happening at the same time, but you just learn that those entrenched powers were really entrenched; those decayed institutions were really decayed. George Packer
Time History You Thought Those Obama Some Some Things Entrenched Point Institutions Powers Him Learn Were Wall Wall Street Same Just Same Time Crash Happening Turning Really Turning Point Street Things Position
Even while writing about foreign places, I have been in a way writing about America, because that's the subject that interests me the most. I'm attached to it, critical, but it's definitely my country, and maybe even more so when I'm overseas. George Packer
Me Writing Country Way Definitely Critical About More Attached Most Because Foreign Been Subject Overseas America Maybe While Places Interests Even
For 20 years, my mother, my sister and I had seldom spoken of my father. If he happened to come up in conversation, pain and embarrassment entered the room and stayed until he disappeared back into the silence with which we all felt more at ease. George Packer
Silence Conversation Mother Father Sister Pain Back Ease Entered Embarrassment Stayed More Seldom Had He Disappeared Spoken Come Until Felt Years Up Happened Which Room
I don't know if it's a male thing, but I've always been interested in how people respond to the stresses and dangers of war, how they react under fire. George Packer
War People Fire Dangers Respond Know React Always How Been Male Interested Thing Stresses
In the extremity of war, character is revealed. George Packer
War Character Extremity Revealed
When I interviewed Paul Bremer in his office, he had almost no books on his shelves. He had a couple of management books, like 'Leadership' by Rudolph Giuliani. I didn't take it as an encouraging sign. George Packer
Leadership Management Books Sign Take Had He Almost Like Couple Shelves His Encouraging Office Paul
Partly what I'm writing about is the way taboos get toppled. George Packer
Writing Way Taboos About Partly Get
Oprah is just this goddess presiding over so much of American life, and her story is really interesting - the way she made herself, and the ruthlessness it took, and also the fantasizing that it took. George Packer
Life Made Goddess Took Herself Way Over Also She Oprah American Just Story Interesting American Life Much Really Her
We have at least learned that the offspring of presidents don't necessarily make good politicians themselves. George Packer
Good Politicians Presidents Make Learned Least Offspring Themselves Necessarily
In a meritocracy, actors who act well get good roles. They don't get to be journalists, too - a job that, in a meritocracy, should go to those who do journalism well. George Packer
Good Job Too Those Journalism Journalists Well Go Get Roles Should Act Who Actor
Inspiration is an underexamined part of political life and presidential leadership. George Packer
Life Leadership Political Presidential Inspiration Part Political Life
In its lowest, most common form, inspiration is simple charisma that becomes magnified by the media, as with Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton. George Packer
Simple Charisma Magnified Inspiration Most Becomes Reagan Clinton Common Form Ronald Reagan Bill Bill Clinton Lowest Media
The idea of solving as huge and long-term a problem as inequality - which, for my money, is the biggest single problem we have here at home - just never gets serious concern from both sides. George Packer
Home Problem Money Single Sides Solving Both Both Sides Never Idea Long-Term Concern Inequality Huge Gets Just Biggest Which Serious Here
If giving money to a politician prejudiced my ability to think and write honestly, I wouldn't do it. Fortunately, it doesn't. George Packer
Money Giving Politician Think Honestly Ability Write Prejudiced Fortunately
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