James Fallows:

The "easy" part of dealing with ISIS is agreeing on its horror. The difficult part is thinking ahead five steps, about what the use of military power can and cannot do.

Mark Danner:

We know where we came from, and we know where we are. We do not yet know how to get back.

Elizabeth D. Samet:

My West Point cadets are wondering whether they have what it takes to be lieutenants, while I'm thinking about what kinds of generals they might make.

David Cole:

James Comey and Robert Hannigan have ... called for public debate on terrorism and technology. It is disappointing, if not surprising, that they see a need for public debate only when new technologies may impair their ability to monitor us, and not when such technologies enhance their monitoring.

Ta-Nehisi Coates:

Power, decoupled from responsibility, is what we seek. The citizen who needs to look away generally finds a reason.

Werner Herzog:

Get used to the bear behind you.

Robin Sloan:

I wear my own skin and it fights me every day.

Mallory Ortberg:

The real monster is society.