“[T]here seems to have been an actual decline in rational thinking. The United States had become a place where entertainers and professional athletes were mistaken for people of importance. They were idolized and treated as leaders; their opinions were sought on everything and they took themselves just as seriously-after all, if an athlete is paid a million or more a year, he knows he is important ... so his opinions of foreign affairs and domestic policies must be important, too, even though he proves himself to be ignorant and subliterate every time he opens his mouth.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsYearsHas BeensImportantStatesReasonSeemsPoliticsUnitedLeaderOpinionMillionsUnited StatesMediaPolicyProveMouthsImportancePaidAffairAthleteIgnorantTreatedRationalDeclineMistakenEntertainersRational ThinkingProfessional AthleteForeign AffairsIdolizedDomestic Policy Author:Robert A. Heinlein
“Once you begin to take yourself seriously as a leader or as a follower, as a modern or as a conservative, then you become a self-conscious, biting, and scratching little animal whose work is not of the slightest value or importance to anybody.” LittlesSelfValuesAnimalLeaderModernConsciousImportanceConservativeFollowersSelf ConsciousBiting Book:The Essays of Virginia Woolf: 1929-1932 Source: The Essays of Virginia Woolf: 1929-1932
“The frustrated follow a leader less because of their faith that he is leading them to a promised land than because of their immediate feeling that he is leading them away from their unwanted selves. Surrender to a leader is not a means to an end but a fulfillment. Whither they are led is of secondary importance.” MeanEndsSelfFeelingsLeaderLandImportanceSurrenderFulfillmentFrustratedUnwantedPromised LandMeans To An End Book:THE TRUE BELIEVER Source: THE TRUE BELIEVER
“People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.” PeopleMenWorldWellsHomeFightingEnergyCommonKnownLeaderPrinciplesTeacherCapitalismImportanceEngagedWell KnownImperialismQuarrelsHerdsDividingFederal Reserve Author:J. P. Morgan
“In early 1961 a new president, John F. Kennedy, was told by military leaders and civilian officials that the Kingdom of Laos - of no conceivable strategic importance to the U.S. - required the presence of American troops and perhaps even tactical nuclear weapons. Why? Because if Laos fell, Asia would go red from Thailand to Indonesia.” IfsPresidentLeaderMilitaryWeaponsRedImportanceNuclearKingdomsOfficialsNuclear WeaponsTroopsAsiaIndonesiaCiviliansStrategicThailandTacticalMilitary LeaderLaosAmerican TroopsPresident John F Kennedy Author:Jeff Greenfield
“It is unfortunate that some in our party have lost sight of the importance of conservation and environmental protection for keeping America strong, healthy, prosperous, and secure. It's time for all of our Republican leaders to recognize that conservation is conservative.” AmericaLostStrongPartyLeaderHealthyRepublicanSightImportanceEnvironmentalConservativeProtectionSecureUnfortunateConservationProsperousEnvironmental Protection Author:David Jenkins
“The main importance of Francis Bacon's influence does not lie in any peculiar theory of inductive reasoning which he happened to express, but in the revolt against second-hand information of which he was a leader.” DoeHandsLyingLeaderHappenedInfluenceInformationTheoryImportanceReasoningPeculiarRevoltSecond Hand Book:Aims of Education Source: Aims of Education
“It's immoral to parent irresponsibly... And it doesn't help matters any when prime time tv, like "Murphy Brown", a character who is supposed to represent a successful career woman of today, mocks the importance of the father by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another "lifestyle choice." Marriage is probably the best anti-poverty program there is... Even though our cultural leaders in Hollywood, network TV, the national newspapers routinely jeer at [such values] I think most of us in this room know that some things are good, and other things are wrong.” ThinkingKnowsChildrenMatterCharacterHelpingTodayValuesChoicesFatherParentRoomsLeaderCareersPovertySuccessfulTvsCallingProgramHollywoodImportanceLifestyleNewspapersBrownPrimeImmoralMurphyCareer WomenSuccessful CareerPrime TimeLifestyle ChoicesMurphy Brown Author:Dan Quayle
“Mitt Romney understands the importance of Alaska as a leader in our country's energy production and I look forward to working with him on such an important economic and national security matter.” LooksImportantCountryMatterEnergyLeaderEconomicSecurityImportanceProductionsOur CountryNational SecurityRomneyAlaskaEnergy Production Author:Lisa Murkowski