Jerry Pournelle

Jeremia Eugene Pournelle (born August 7, 1933) American essayist, journalist and science fiction author.

Sourced

with Larry Niven

In any ethical situation, the thing you want least to do is probably the right action.
The importance of information is directly proportional to its improbability.
To doubt everything or to believe everything are two equally convenient solutions; both dispense with the necessity of reflection.

Of course most people underestimate the warrior characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon and Norman peoples anyway. It takes a heap of piety to keep a Viking from wanting to go sack a city.
- Reply to reader email in Chaos Manor Mail 141, February 19-25, 2001

Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representative who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent. The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.
- Reference quote in Chaos Manor View 408, April 3-9, 2006

I have more information in one place than anybody in the world.
- Commonly seen with the attribution "Jerry Pournelle, an absurd notion, apparently about the BIX BBS"
- Clarified in a reply to reader email in Chaos Manor View 402, Febuary 20-26, 2006

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Jerry Pournelle