“A recent poll showed that nearly half the American public believes that the government should redistribute wealth. That so many people are so willing to blithely put such an enormous and dangerous arbitrary power in the hands of politicians-\-\risking their own freedom, in hopes of getting what someone else has-\-\is a painful sign of how far many citizens and voters fall short of what is needed to preserve a democratic republic” PeopleShouldBelieveHandsGovernmentFallWealthHalfDangerousWillingNeededCitizensPoliticianDemocraticPainfulEnormousPreservesVotersRepublicArbitraryPollsDemocratic Republic Author:Thomas Sowell
“I learned early that business is business and politics is politics. The proof is how few important businessmen have made good politicians. They may think that they are very smart about everything because they made millions of dollars by digging a hole in the ground and finding oil, but the talent and luck needed to become rich are not the same talent and luck needed to succeed on Parliament Hill.” ThinkingMayMadeImportantMillionsRichTalentNeededPoliticianSucceedFindingsSmartLuckDollarsOilProofHolesHillsBusinessmanParliamentDiggingVery SmartBecome RichGood PoliticiansDigging A Hole Author:Jean Chretien
“Politicians do nothing but ask of us, during every expiration of a legal statute, "a gesture of trust." But here trust is not enough; what's needed is an act of faith.” EnoughAsksNeededPoliticianGesturesStatutes Author:Indro Montanelli
“Every politician just has to remember how he got his position in the first place. A young candidate running for Congress or any outsider interested in public office could only achieve his goals by relying on soft power. They could not force anyone to vote for them. They needed to convince their potential voters, they needed to do fundraising, they needed to be attractive candidates.” FirstsRunningRememberYoungForceGoalAchievePositionNeededPoliticianOfficeVoteCongressAttractiveCandidatesConvinceVotersOutsidersFundraisingPublic Office Author:Joseph Nye
“A federal bailout would spare California from having to make spending cuts needed to bring its budget into balance. The matter has become urgent since California voters rejected several tax-hiking ballot initiatives. Rather than taking the vote as a signal to dramatically curtail spending, the state turned to the feds. If they get a free pass, the politicians can avoid fixing any of their past mistakes or preparing California for the future.” IfsMatterStatesPastMistakeCuttingNeededBalancePoliticianTaxesVoteSpendingBudgetsCaliforniaFedsVotersHikingInitiativeRejectedSparesPreparingSignalsUrgentFixingBallotsPast MistakesBailoutsSpending Cuts Author:Peter Schiff
“Politicians generally form alliances and not friendships. Individuals and institutions achieve their ends through continual barter. But deals are not bonds. Indeed, intense emotional involvement with anything - with issues, ideology, a woman, even a family - can be a handicap, not only consuming valuable time, but more importantly, reducing flexibility and the capacity for detached calculation needed to take maximum advantage of continually changing circumstances.” EndsFormIndividualDealsIssuesAchieveEmotionalNeededPoliticianCircumstancesAdvantageCapacityInstitutionsValuableIntenseIdeologyFlexibilityMaximumInvolvementConsumingReducingAlliancesCalculationsDetachedHandicapsNot FriendsValuable Time Book:Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream Source: Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
“There was a very important superintendent of Yellowstone, a man who was involved in the founding of the National Park Service itself, Horace Albright. And he became superintendent, which is the boss of Yellowstone Park, in 1919 - from 1919 to 1929. Later, he was director of the park service itself. Albright embraced the idea that in order for the national parks - and Yellowstone in particular - to have support from the American people and from politicians, there needed to be wildlife as spectacle.” PeopleMenImportantIdeasOrderSupportParticularNeededInvolvedPoliticianDirectorsParksBossFoundingWildlifeNational ParksYellowstoneSuperintendents Author:David Quammen
“Politicians all over the world cater to domestic vote banks. They will spend only on what their constituents want. So unless there is a grass root green movement in a nation the politicians will not be willing to spend money on curbing emissions. More awareness is needed amongst the people to effect the real change in how governments spend.” PeopleWorldWantRealGovernmentNationsEffectsAwarenessMovementWillingNeededPoliticianRootsVoteGreenGrassEmissionsConstituentsReal ChangeGreen Movement Author:Wilbur Smith