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Quote by Maurice Cowling

“I've read The Satanic Verses and I thought it a nasty, sneering, free-thinking book... I can understand why the book is offensive and it didn't seem to me to be anything but offensive when I read it.”

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Maurice Cowling

Maurice Cowling was a historical figure of an unknown profession/category. He was born on September 6, 1926, and passed away on August 24, 2005. more

“It seemed to me singularly ill-contrived for the British government to be going to war with Hitler when Hitler might have been about to attack the Russians, and even more ill-contrived that, when Hitler did attack the Russians, he had already defeated the French army. What I'm saying is that the war shouldn't have been started in September 1939...from the point of view of Britain, the war was really not a good thing and I would regard it as, in effect, a defeat.”

“I am confident, however old-fashioned this may sound, that funds left in the hands of the public will come into the Exchequer with interest at the time in the future when we need them.”

Needs May Hands Left Sound Interest Fund Old Fashioned

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“The fact that previous generations have handed down to us a substantial public heritage by way of roads, port, etc. almost completely free of debt, seems to me to impose some limitation on the validity of the theory that by borrowing we should, or could, pass on the burden of development to the next generation.”

Way Should Facts Seems Next Generations Theory Development Burden Debt Limitation Etc Heritage Next Generation Port Borrowing Validity Previous Generations

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“Official opposition to overall economic planning and planning controls has been characterized in a recent editorial as "Papa knows best." But it is precisely because Papa does not know best that I believe that Government should not presume to tell any businessman or industrialist what he should or should not do, far less what he may or not do; and no matter how it may be dressed up that is what planning is.”

Knows Should Believe May Doe Has Beens Matter Government I Believe Economic Planning Officials Opposition Businessman Dressed Up Editorials Papa

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“Over a wide field of our economy it is still the better course to rely on the nineteenth century's "hidden hand" than to thrust clumsy bureaucratic fingers into its sensitive mechanism. In particular, we cannot afford to damage its mainspring, freedom of competitive enterprise.”

Stills Hands Courses Economy Century Fields Particular Fingers Wide Sensitive Rely Damage Enterprise Mechanism Thrust Nineteenth Century Clumsy

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“One trouble is that when Government gets into a business it tends to make it uneconomic for anyone else.”

Government Trouble

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“I am also, I must confess, a little sceptical of the theory that we have a right, if we could, to pass on our capital burden to future generations. I remarked last year in this context that our predecessors had not passed any significant part of their burden on to us.”

Ifs Years Littles Lasts Generations Theory Burden Significant Last Year Future Generation Predecessors

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“Be above it! Make the world serve your purpose, but do not serve it.”

World Purpose Literature

Author:Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“We enjoy a considerable net inflow of capital and I am sure that a condition of its coming, and staying, is that it is free to flow out again. It is also important for Hong Kong's status as a financial centre that there should be a maximum freedom of capital movement both in and out.”

Should Important Enjoy Conditions Movement Flow Financial Staying Centre Maximum Hong Kong

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

“I should like to begin with a philosophical comment. I do not think that when one is speaking of hardships or benefits one can reasonably speak in terms of classes or social groups but only in terms of individuals.”

Thinking Should Individual Speak Social Term Class Groups Benefits Philosophical Hardship Comment Social Groups

Author:John James Cowperthwaite

Quote by Maurice Cowling

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