The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

There are no happy endings in history, only crisis points that pass

Schiller. A German dramatist of three centuries ago. In a play about Joan of Arc, he said, ‘Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.’ I’m no god and I’ll contend no longer. Let it go, Pete, and go your way. Maybe the world will last our time and, if not, there’s nothing that can be done anyway. I’m sorry, Pete. You fought the good fight, but you lost, and I’m through.

All they have to do is refuse to believe it means death. The easiest way to solve a problem is to deny it exists

Any decent politician is masochistic enough to dream now and then of going down in flames while the angels sing