"A human group transforms itself into a crowd when it suddenly responds to a suggestion rather than to reasoning, to an image rather than to an idea, to an affirmation rather than to proof, to the repetition of a phrase rather than to arguments, to prestige rather than to competence."
by:
Jean-Francois Revel
[Jean-Francois Ricard] (1924-2006) French politician, journalist, author, philosopher, member of the Académie française
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Vera, Monroe, CT      
I'm reminded of two kinds of mass outdoor public chanting...Seig Heil and Yes We Can. Both were entirely mindless.
 -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Right on J Carlton. The mindless slogan "Hope and Change" also comes to mind.
     -- jim k, Austin, Tx     
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    Suggestion-GUN CONTROL-has no reasoning as to how to prevent someone from killing with other means (or to prevent a law-breaker from obtaining a gun). Image-What you are shown by the Media, not your own thinking. Affirmation- Who NEEDS TRUTH, cnn,nbc abc pbs, etc - said THIS..... (they wouldn't lie) (would they). PHRASE "Tax the rich!" - "Global Warming UHH-OH, Yeah, Climate Change!" That'll fix our problems, Sure! and last but not least; just look at the ROCK STAR treatment... That says it all!
     -- Diana, Anytown, USA     
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    Beautifully said!

    The fear of guns is the fear of death. True reasoning would include telling people death statistics across the board, then you would see that even though 20 kids were killed by a crazy man one day -- which practically never happens -- on the same day thousands of people died in car accidents and from medical treatments -- and this happens EVERY DAY. Accidental death by guns is minuscule to the number of accidental deaths by bicycle. Notice that whenever deaths are reported by guns we are never given the number deaths of those NOT by guns.

    PEOPLE DIE -- every single one. Yes, guns do kill people -- ask the Afghans and Iraqis -- this is what happens when the military can act unimpeded. The tool is FEAR and it is being used to disempower us in every way. Have courage at the very least. If a citizen cannot be trusted with a private weapon, how is it a government employee can? The government cannot be trusted any more than a common criminal which is why the people are to be armed -- period.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Great thinker !! it is almost incredible that he was a jornalism, a profession normally close to Socialism.
    Congraturations !
     -- Luis, Panama     
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