“Trust is the lifeblood of a decent society. The true currency of democracy.”

The Hindu interview (2012)

Source: The Alienist

Source: The Three Questions - Prosperity and the Public Good (1998), Chapter Four, Self-Interest and the Public Interest: Taxes, Debts, and Deficits, p. 86

"Freedom from Religion" in The Nation (19 February 2001)

Free speech in an age of identity politics (2015)

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9672836-a-society-without-democracy-is-a-society-of-slaves-and

Writing on the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing

2010s
Context: p>Americans have more freedom and broader rights than citizens of almost any other nation in the world, including the capacity to criticize their government and their elected officials. But we do not have the right to resort to violence — or the threat of violence — when we don’t get our way. Our founders constructed a system of government so that reason could prevail over fear. Oklahoma City proved once again that without the law there is no freedom.Criticism is part of the lifeblood of democracy. No one is right all the time. But we should remember that there is a big difference between criticizing a policy or a politician and demonizing the government that guarantees our freedoms and the public servants who enforce our laws.</p

Variant: The only true currency in this bankrupt world are the moments you share with someone when you're uncool.
Source: Almost Famous