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Quote by Edward Abbey

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Postcards from Ed: Dispatches and Salvos from an American Iconoclast

This book features a series of postcards, each accompanied by a short essay, providing a unique perspective on American life and its complexities. Ed Ruscha's distinctive style and wit are evident throughout, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of an influential artist and cultural critic. more

Author

Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey

Edward Abbey was an American author known for his naturalist works and advocacy for environmental protection. His writings often take the desolate wilderness of the American Southwest as a backdrop, profoundly revealing the relationship between humans and nature. Abbey's writing style is unique, filled with humor and satire, and has had a profound impact on later generations. more

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“In Scotland, the poverty industry is dominated by a left-leaning, liberal, middle class. Because this specialist class is so genuinely well-intentioned when it comes to the interests of people in deprived communities, they get a bit confused, upset and offended when those very people begin expressing anger towards them. It never occurs to them, because they see themselves as the good guys, that the people they purport to serve may, in fact, perceive them as chancers, careerists or charlatans. They regard themselves as champions of the under class and therefore, should any poor folk begin to get their own ideas or, god forbid, rebel against the poverty experts, the blame is laid at the door of the complainants for misunderstanding what is going on.”

“It my be helpful, in attempting to understand the basic nature of the new caste system, to think of the criminal justice system-the entire collection of institutions and practices that comprise it-not as an independent system but rather as a gateway into a much larger system of racial stigmatization and permanent marginalization. This larger system, referred to here as mass incarceration, is a system that locks people not only behind actual bars in actual prisons, but also behind virtual bars and virtual walls-walls that are invisible to the naked eye but function nearly as effectively as Jim Crow laws once did at locking people of color int a permanent second-class citizenship. The term mass incarceration refers not only to the criminal justice system but also to the web of laws, rules, policies, and customs that control those labeled criminals both in and outside of prison. Once released, former prisoners enter a hidden underworld of legalized discrimination and permanent social exclusion. They are members of America's new undercaste.”

“LAW 25 Re-Create Yourself Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define if for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.”

“The Vedic way calls upon all intelligent human beings to become noble (arya) in the character and behavior. We become noble when we strive to achieve superlative excellence in every aspect of our lives. For the noble person, the ideal of striving for perfection in all things is never a cause for trepidation or excuses. Excellence is our very purpose in living. We live in order to exceed our present state. For the arya (the noble person), the attitude of either being or doing something that is ‘good enough’ can never be good enough. Strive always, and in every facet of your being, to be noble and excellent. Praja Arya Jyotiragrah. ‘The arya are led by the divine light’ (Rig Veda, 7.33.17).”