The major does not believe that the machines will work, but he comes every day because he feels they must be tested. what does this say about his character?

he does not care for theories.

he is a man of habit and discipline.

he is hopefully optimistic.

he does not believe in sacrifice.

This sentence says that he is a man of habit and discipline.

A man of habit is someone who does the same thing in the same way with regular tendency. Moreover, a man of discipline is a man that carries out a task because he knows that it is his duty to do it. This sentence implies that the major is a man of habit and discipline because even though he does not hope that the machines will work, he tests them every day because he feels that it is his duty.

overnment is strong when they have the ability to persuade those they govern to believe government has enough power to force them or should be forcing them to do government’s will.

when enough of the citizenry do not believe government can force them or should force them to do its bidding, government has lost or will lose its strength and power to coerce.

when enough of the citizenry do believe government can force or should force them to do its bidding, they become passive at the least or actively pro-government and repeat government’s own rhetoric to pass on what they have been persuaded by government’s propaganda.

a true majority isn’t always needed to govern or to stop government. many times all that is needed is a strong minority. if a determined 30% of the population rises up against government in a concerted effort to bring it down, this size minority usually will succeed as long as those actively opposing the minority are less in force than the minority. so if 41% of the population sits at home watching tv rooting for one side or the other, they don’t matter. it’s the active parties who make a difference.

alone =having no one else present.