“Of course most people underestimate the warrior characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon and Norman peoples anyway. It takes a heap of piety to keep a Viking from wanting to go sack a city.” PeopleCoursesCitiesWarriorCharacteristicsUnderestimatePietyVikingsAnglo Saxon Author:Jerry Pournelle
“It's the nature of government, to build enduring institutions, structures that stay long after their purpose is over. If you pay people to help the poor, you have people who won't be paid if there aren't any poor, so they'll be sure to find some.” PeopleIfsLongHelpingGovernmentPurposePoliticsPoorPayEconomyPaidInstitutionsStructureEndureLiberalismHelp The Poor Author:Jerry Pournelle
“In any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representative who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent. The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.” PeopleWritingKindChildrenPersonsTwoStatesWould BeLawGoalTeachCasesTeacherSacrificeExampleTypeProtectGainsOrganizationFunctionUnionsIncludingInvestingIronRepresentativesIncompetent Author:Jerry Pournelle
“A Dark Age is not just a period in which people no longer know how to do things. The real key is that people no longer remember that certain things can be done at all.” PeopleKnowsRealDoneAgeRememberCertainDarkKnow HowKeysPeriodsDark Ages Author:Jerry Pournelle
“It's not only possible, but likely that the Nobel Prize in economics will go in alternate years to people who disagree on nearly everything fundamental.” PeopleYearsEconomicsFundamentalsPrizeDisagreeNobelNobel Prize Author:Jerry Pournelle
“In any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always get in control, and those dedicated to the goals the bureaucracy is supposed to accomplish have less and less influence, and sometimes are eliminated entirely.[Pournelle's law of Bureaucracy]” PeopleSometimesLawGoalInfluenceBenefitsAccomplishDedicatedDevotedBureaucracy Author:Jerry Pournelle
“Because Tom Doherty and people like that are not stupid. If they could have streamlined their operation more to get more money out of it, they would have done it. It's not like they're a bunch of idiots.” PeopleIfsDoneStupidBunchIdiotOperationsTomsMore MoneyNot Stupid Author:Jerry Pournelle
“Write a lot. And finish what you write. Don't join writer's clubs and go sit around having coffee reading pieces of your manuscript to people. Write it. Finish it. I set those rules up years ago, and nothing's changed.” PeopleWritingYearsReadingPiecesChangedYears AgoClubsCoffeeManuscripts Author:Jerry Pournelle
