According to Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism chief, Bush was so obsessed with Iraq that he failed to take action against Osama Bin Laden despite repeated warnings from his intelligence experts. Ferdinand Mount More Quotes by Ferdinand Mount More Quotes From Ferdinand Mount One of the unsung freedoms that go with a free press is the freedom not to read it. Ferdinand Mount freedom-of-the-press free-press literature Sexual relations, of course, have existed, exist, and will exist. However, this is in no way connected with the indispensability of the existence of the family. Ferdinand Mount existence literature way Francis Wheen takes a hugely enjoyable sweep through the tangled thickets of superstition and gullibility in which modern man likes to ramble. He takes particular delight in reminding us how easily fools are parted from their money and how many of them there are. Ferdinand Mount tangled fool men A majority in all parties do, I think, want to see local government recover its old vigour and independence. Ferdinand Mount party government thinking We are also further than ever from equality of opportunity. Ferdinand Mount equality literature opportunity It's true that I'm taking a break from writing a regular column to do other things but it's got nothing to do with what dear Simon has or has not written. Ferdinand Mount columns taking-a-break writing Why should people be expected to think about the meaning of life merely because they happen to be ill? That is just the time when there is no time to think about such things, because the body is so greedy for attention. Ferdinand Mount meaning-of-life people thinking If life was what you made of it, then it could not be made for you. Ferdinand Mount ifs made life America slept because most Americans preferred it that way. Ferdinand Mount literature america way What the world needs now is more Americans. The U.S. is the first nation on earth deliberately dedicated to letting people choose what they want and giving them a chance to get it. Ferdinand Mount letting-go giving people The president is being denounced for not taking the kind of pre-emptive action in Afghanistan that he has been so passionately denounced for taking in Iraq. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Ferdinand Mount iraq president doe We want a system that will improve consistency and steadiness in the quality of government. Ferdinand Mount consistency quality government Something is happening to Britain and the British. Or has happened. We are said to be passing through a transition, or a turning point, or a transformation; nobody is quite sure which. Ferdinand Mount british transformation transition We criticize, copy, patronize, idolize and insult but we never doubt that the U.S. has a unique position in the history of human hopes. Ferdinand Mount unique literature doubt All the research shows that being married, with all its ups and downs, is by far the most effective way of making young men law-abiding and giving them a sense of purpose and self-worth. Ferdinand Mount self-worth law men For all its terrible faults, in one sense America is still the last, best hope of mankind, because it spells out so vividly the kind of happiness that most people actually want, regardless of what they are told they ought to want. Ferdinand Mount lasts america people For the first half of this century, High Court judges have been cautious to the point of timidity in expressing any criticism of governmental action; the independence of the judiciary has been of a decidedly subordinate character. Ferdinand Mount court-judges judging character I think it's a pity that in many people's minds constitutional reform and PR have come to mean much the same thing. Ferdinand Mount mean people thinking In real terms, there is a greater disparity of earnings between the very rich and the very poor. Ferdinand Mount real literature earning No constitution is or can be perfectly symmetrical, what it can and must be is generally accepted as both fair and usable. Ferdinand Mount symmetrical constitution accepted