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"But in Africa bureaucrats are usually too proud to accept a bribe, something I admire when I'm not the one being arrested."
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"Now, come over here so I can pat you down.""But you don't have-" Percy stopped. "Uh, sure."He stood next to the armless statue. Terminus conducted a rigorous mental pat down."You seem to be clean," Terminus decided. "Do you have anything to declare?""Yes," Percy said. "I declare that this is stupid."
"Nobody likes having a problem, but having a convoluted, bureaucratic one is even more galling."
"Bureaucracy, the rule of no one, has become the modern form of despotism."
"Americans spend 3 billion hours per year filling out tax forms and keeping tax records."
"Lefever describes his financing plan with modesty:"'Our detailed budget is realistic, but does not take into account the inflation that may occur before September 1983. The one place it could cut or reduce is item 7, the simultaneous interpreter services, if these services could be provided gratis by the U.S. government.'""In other words, the only way to make a saving on a U.S.-subsidized project is to take money out of another U.S.-subsidized column."
"I believe in opening mail once a month, whether it needs it or not."
"The only problem that ever really seems to bother empire builders is bureaucracy. Before a new colony on the frontier could be founded, the Senate and Triumvirate would have to pass the plan. Factors influencing the High Lords decision would include, among others, the number of people needed to found the colony and whether this would result in any significant population shift. Another, more critical factor would be whether Tactical Defense could spare the ships or the manpower to patrol the area."
"Big Government' is a lot less like a 'Big Brother', and a lot more like a mother-in-law."
"I've never been married and I've no more desire to be married now than I ever have. I hate bureaucracy and I am not religious."
"If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork."
Explore more quotes by Tahir Shah
"Real travel is not about the highlights with which you dazzle your friends once you're home. It's about the loneliness, the solitude, the evenings spent by yourself, pining to be somewhere else. Those are the moments of true value. You feel half proud of them and half ashamed and you hold them to your heart."
"The pursuit of illusion is not about studying for prizes, or for study's sake. There's no right or wrong, no pass or fail."
"Calcutta's the only city I know where you are actively encouraged to stop strangers at random for a quick chat."
"Running an expedition can bring out the worst in a man. It can make you a power-crazed monster."
"Back at the Chateau Windsor there was a rat-like scratching at the door of my room. Vinod, the youngest servant, came in with a soda water. He placed it next to the bag of toffees. Then he watched me read. I was used to being observed reading. Sometimes the room would fill like a railway station at rush hour and I would be expected to cure widespread boredom."
"As the head of an expedition, you can't pussyfoot around being polite to everyone. You have to show your teeth once in a while; a little growling goes a long way."
"My father looked on in disbelief, overwhelmed that his son had been taught to eat glass and relish it."
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