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David Mamet

David Mamet Quotes

Playwright

David Mamet, born on November 30, 1947, is a renowned American playwright. His works are known for their unique style and profound themes, with notable plays including 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and 'Othello'. Mamet's plays often delve into themes of power, language, and morality, having a profound impact on modern theater.

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Famous David Mamet Quotes

“Obama is a tyrant the same way FDR was a tyrant. He has a view of presidential power that states: the government is in control of the country, and the president is in charge of the government. He's taken an imperial view of the presidency.”

Way Country States Government President Views Taken Presidential Tyrants Presidency Presidential Power

Author:David Mamet

“The honest man might observe... that no one gets something for nothing; that politicians go in poor and go out rich; that the Government screws up everything it touches; and that the Will to Believe is best confined to the Religious Venue, as to practice it elsewhere is just too damned expensive.”

Men Believe Government Might Religious Poor Practice Rich Honest Politician Expensive Elsewhere Screws Confined Honest Man Screw Ups Venues

Author:David Mamet

“Conservatives believe in smaller government and in the power of the electorate. So I think that we're less likely to try to use a dramatic forum to warp people's political views.”

People Thinking Trying Believe Use Government Political Views Dramatic Forums Electorate Warp Political View Smaller Government

Author:David Mamet

“If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm all criminals, and let them accidentally shoot themselves? Is this absurd? Yes, and yet the government, of course, is arming criminals.”

Ifs Government Courses Dangerous Arms Criminals Absurd Make Sense Firearms Aggressors

Author:David Mamet

“You can't write about history without writing about politics at some point. History is about movements of people. 'What is criminality and what is government' is a theme that runs through every history.”

People Writing Government Running Movement Theme Criminality

Author:David Mamet

“When the three branches of government have failed to represent the citizenry and the mass of the media has failed to represent the citizenry, then the citizenry better represent the citizenry.”

Government Three Media Mass Branches Citizenry Branches Of Government Three Branches Of Government

Author:David Mamet

“It is not the constitutional prerogative of the Government to determine needs.”

Needs Government Determine Prerogative

Author:David Mamet

“The government, for example, has determined that black people (somehow) have fewer abilities than white people, and, so, must be given certain preferences. Anyone acquainted with both black and white people knows this assessment is not only absurd but monstrous. And yet it is the law.”

People Knows Government Law Certain Given Black Ability White Example Determined Absurd Black People Fewer Black And White Preference Monstrous Assessment

Author:David Mamet

“The Founders recognized that Government is quite literally a necessary evil, that there must be opposition, between its various branches, and between political parties, for these are the only ways to temper the individual's greed for power and the electorates' desires for peace by submission to coercion or blandishment.”

Way Government Political Desire Evil Individual Party Greed Various Branches Opposition Temper Founders Political Parties Submission Coercion Electorate Necessary Evil

Author:David Mamet

“We recipients of the boon of liberty have always been ready, when faced with discomfort, to discard any and all first principles of liberty, and, further, to indict those who do not freely join with us in happily arrogating those principles.”

Firsts Government Liberty Principles Ready Discomfort Boon

Book:Writing in restaurants

Source: Writing in restaurants

About the Author

Born: November 30, 1947
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 238

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Books & Sources

On directing filmRelated source material

Writing in restaurantsRelated source material

True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the ActorRelated source material

The Secret Knowledge: On the Dismantling of American CultureRelated source material

Mamet Plays: 2: Reunion; Dark Pony; A Life in the Theatre; The Woods; Lakeboat; EdmondRelated source material

Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie BusinessRelated source material

Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of DramaRelated source material

Boston MarriageRelated source material

FaustusRelated source material

House of Games: A ScreenplayRelated source material

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