Sometime in my teenage years, I picked up the novel Dune by Frank Herbert. For those not familiar with it, here is a short Wikipedia description,
Dune is set in the far future amidst a sprawling feudal interstellar empire where planetary fiefdoms are controlled by noble Houses that owe allegiance to the Imperial House Corrino. The novel tells the story of young Paul Atreides (heir apparent to Duke Leto Atreides and scion of House Atreides) as he and his family accept control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the spice melange, the most important and valuable substance in the universe. The story explores the complex and multilayered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as forces of the Empire confront each other for control of Arrakis and its spice.
(Emphasis is mine.)
I have read Dune and the series that followed countless of times. The election has brought back some of the memories of these books.
In my humble opinion, much like the current Battlestar Galactica TV series, Dune used science fiction to explore various topics. It's not important that it is science-fiction.
I am posting some of my favorite quotes, some self-explanatory, others I will make additional comments.
A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.
- Dune
Quite relevant, given current events.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
- Dune
For example, see the current GOP.
"Control the coinage and the courts — let the rabble have the rest." Thus the Padishah Emperor advises you. And he tells you; "If you want profits, you must rule." There is truth in these words, but I ask myself; "Who are the rabble and who are the ruled?"
- Dune
Looks like the Emperor was a Republican.
Power tends to isolate those who hold too much of it. Eventually, they lose touch with reality... and fall.
- Dune Messiah
Don't "pull a Bush."
When law and duty are one, united by religion, you never become fully conscious, fully aware of yourself. You are always a little less than an individual.
- Dune Messiah
Make of that what you will.
If you believe certain words, you believe their hidden arguments. When you believe something is right or wrong, true or false, you believe the assumptions in the words which express the arguments. Such assumptions are often full of holes, but remain most precious to the convinced.
- Children of Dune
Please note that the above was wrote decades ago.
You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die.
- God Emperor of Dune
The difference between a good administrator and a bad one is about five heartbeats. Good administrators make immediate choices ... [that] usually can be made to work. A bad administrator, on the other hand, hesitates, diddles around, asks for committees, for research and reports. Eventually, he acts in ways which create serious problems ... A bad administrator is more concerned with reports than with decisions. He wants the hard record which he can display as an excuse for his errors ... [Good administrators] depend on verbal orders. They never lie about what they've done if their verbal orders cause problems, and they surround themselves with people able to act wisely on the basis of verbal orders. Often, the most important piece of information is that something has gone wrong. Bad administrators hide their mistakes until it's too late to make corrections ... One of the hardest things to find is people who actually make decisions.
- God Emperor of Dune
My favorite quote of all is below:
When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong - faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thoughts of obstacles and forget the precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it's to late.
- God Emperor of Dune
Nothing like having seen these words in action.
I haven't add a lot of my own commentary. It's not my job to tell you what to think, that's your job.
Sources:
Wikiquotes for Dune
Goodreads - Frank Herbert Quotes