Quote of the Day: November 14: "What's the Penalty for Being Late?" "Death." "What's the Penalty for Treason?" "Death." "I Have News for You: We're Late."
"The reign of terror imploded almost the moment the First Emperor died. One day in 209 BCE, the story runs, heavy rain prevented two lowly officials from delivering conscripts to a garrison on time. The penalty for lateness was, of course, death. 'As things stand, we face death whether we stay or run away', Sima Qian reports one of them saying, 'while if we were to start a revolt…'"
--Ian Morris: Why the West Rules--for Now
