On history

"Those natural historical forces they speak of are a good thing to have around the place if you want to make home-made gin, but as far as history is concerned, man produces that all by himself with little help from anything, natural or otherwise. I won't take the time to argue with you about waves of civilization and culture, but suffice it to say that I have my doubts. The only thing I am certain of is that, given your average crossroads, humankind will always negotiate the wrong turn. Man is little more than an ever-increasing brood of idiots who would lose out in any test of intelligence with the food he eats, and that includes your common herring. What other creature has gone out of its way to invent the means of its total destruction? I speak of money, politics and gunpowder - sure-fire tools to do it with. Gentlemen, in my view, history is nothing more than the chronicle of man's descent into the abyss."

-- Jerry Yulsman, Elleander Morning