“Most of the world is fooling about, especially the people who think they control the world and the community. The presidents, the politicians, the military, etc., are all jerking about, acting as if they are Lord over their own domains. That's basically Problem One on the planet.” PeopleIfsThinkingWorldProblemPresidentCommunityActingLordMilitaryPlanetsPoliticianEtcDomainActing As If Author:George Harrison
“The Democrats have got to open the door to young people. Welcome them in and understand that it will be messy, that many young people are not professional politicians. The Democratic Party is going to have to adjust itself to their reality, rather than force young people to be adjusted to the Democratic leadership's reality.” PeopleRealityYoungForcePartyDoorsPoliticianDemocraticDemocratWelcomeDemocratic PartyMessyDemocratic Leadership Author:Bernie Sanders
“69 percent of the people want our politicians to work together. And I think this should be a message to Democrats and Republicans to work together. And this is why people are very upset about Washington today.” PeopleThinkingWantShouldTodayTogetherPoliticianRepublicanMessagesPercentDemocratUpsetWorking Together Author:Arnold Schwarzenegger
“I don't even think much about politicians. I think about the people in the audience who applaud the politicians. They are your fellow countrymen and they're the ones you live with - that should be who we target for education and enlightenment.” PeopleThinkingShouldAudiencePoliticianEnlightenmentFellowsTargetCountrymen Author:Neil deGrasse Tyson
“People no longer know how to apologize, which is particularly noticeable among athletes, politicians, and entertainment figures.” PeopleKnowsKnow HowFiguresPoliticianAthleteEntertainmentApologizing Author:Stanton Peele
“The average politician speaks out of both sides of their mouth. No matter if it's Canada or the United States. And it's all three levels of government here and all parties. They act one way in front of the people and they think people are stupid and they can blow smoke where the sun doesn't shine for these people. And people don't buy it anymore.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayMatterStatesGovernmentThreeSpeakSidesLevelsUnitedPartyUnited StatesSunFrontsStupidPoliticianMouthsShiningAverageBlowOne WaySmokeCanadaBoth SidesSpeaks Out Author:Doug Ford, Jr.
“People are just fed up with these politicians that get up there, promise something, don't commit to their promises after they get elected. And it's all about - you know what it's all about? Filling their buddies' pockets full of money, sole-sourced deals, giving contracts. It's all about the money.” PeopleKnowsGivingDealsPoliticianPromiseCommitGet UpPocketsFedsContractsSoleFillingBuddyFed Up Author:Doug Ford, Jr.
“The way the left is reacting to the death of Fidel Castro up against the incontrovertible facts of who he was, you want to talk about a disconnect. In fact, I don't think it is a disconnect. I think the left, the power brokers, the leaders, I think they actually did admire the guy. I think this is what they think Castro's power - I've always said, the people have asked me, how do these actors and people and these leftist politicians, how come they admire people like this? I said, "They envy their power." And I think there may be a lot to that.” PeopleThinkingWayWantMaySaidFactsGuyActorsLeftLeaderPoliticianEnvyAdmireReactingLeftistsCastroBrokers Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Globalization has genuinely drained power away from national politicians and people feel it. People in our fast digital age are also frustrated with the comparably slow democratic processes. Many young people - and some old people - want to know, Why does everything take so long? Why can't someone just decide and then move forward?” PeopleKnowsWantFeelsLongDoeAgeMovingYoungProcessPoliticianDemocraticMoving ForwardDigitalFrustratedOld PeopleGlobalizationDigital AgeDrainedDemocratic Process Author:Anne Applebaum
“People should really think about when they see President Donald Trump, they should think about all the places that he was and could be. All the things he could be doing. The political motivators for many typical politicians of which he's not one, Mercy, money, power, prestige, fame, he had all of that.” PeopleThinkingShouldPoliticalPresidentTrumpPoliticianFameMercyTypicalPrestigeMoney Power Author:Kellyanne Conway
“I think this mythology - that we're all beyond race, of course our police officers aren't racist, of course our politicians don't mean any harm to people of color - this idea that we're beyond all that (so it must be something else) makes it difficult for young people as well as the grown-ups to be able to see clearly and honestly the truth of what's going on. It makes it difficult to see that the backlash against the Civil Rights Movement manifested itself in the form of mass incarceration, in the form of defunding and devaluing schools serving kids of color and all the rest.” PeopleThinkingWellsMeanIdeasKidsAbleSchoolFormYoungCoursesDifficultRaceRightsMovementColorPoliticianMassPoliceHarmHonestlyMythologyCivil RightsRacistServingOfficersCivil Rights MovementPolice OfficerIncarcerationBacklashMass Incarceration Author:Michelle Alexander
“Artists are in the imagining/ prototyping business. Society needs people to be out there thinking of what might be. That cannot be something we just delegate to politicians or technologists.” PeopleThinkingNeedsMightArtistPoliticianDelegates Author:Mohsin Hamid
“In Canada, what I find what people are afraid of or worried about is politicians who denigrate the importance of the resource sectors, which are the basis of our trading capacity.” PeoplePoliticianResourcesCapacityImportanceBasesWorriedCanadaTrading Author:Preston Manning
“I have done political things, I couldn't care less about politics. I have zero interest in politics, really. They don't allure me. I have no interest in them, because if I could believe the law could change people's behavior then I would become a politician. But only Christ can change the heart.” PeopleIfsBelieveHeartDoneCareLawPoliticalInterestChristPoliticianBehaviorIf I CouldZeroAllureInterest In Politics Author:Rick Warren
“Some people naturally have a sense of empathy and an understanding of how to bring their followers to do things. They become great politicians.” PeopleUnderstandingPoliticianEmpathyFollowers Author:Colin Powell
“Thank God [Donald Trump] said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as 'animal politicus.' At least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don't know. I'll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people.” PeopleKnowsHumansWellsPersonsSaidAnimalTrumpPoliticianJudgmentDefinedThank GodPawns Author:Pope Francis
“I think it's interesting that a lot of times people want celebrities to give back in the way that they want them to give back. They want them to give money to the cause they think is important and when that doesn't happen they say, "Oh, they're not doing anything." People think celebrities are going to solve their problems. People think because someone is famous or an athlete or a politician that the solution begins with them. All they're there to do is sell you a product.” PeopleThinkingWayWantGivingImportantProblemHappensCausesInterestingProductsPoliticianSolutionsSellsAthleteSolveGiving Back Author:Rhymefest
“Health care got done because there were a lot of people out there who aren't professional politicians, but are citizens, who pushed for it even when the politics was hard.” PeopleHardDoneCareCitizensPoliticianHealth Care Author:Barack Obama
“When killings of black by policeman happen, there's the victim, there's the family, there are the police, there are the politicians, and there is the community. Everybody is affected. Everybody has a point of view. We really wanted to dig into that and get to know all these different people that are changed by it.” PeopleKnowsDifferentHappensWantedBlackCommunityViewsChangedPoliticianPoliceVictimKillingPoint Of ViewAffectedDifferent PeoplesPolicemen Author:Gina Prince-Bythewood
“As Muslims, we must have an active presence based on ethical and moral consistency. We need to be very vocal, to inform people, to demonstrate when necessary. We need to write so that the people understand that what they are getting from the media and politicians is biased and not accurate. And this is true especially when it comes to some communities within the U.S. or with respect to the Middle East and Africa. This is what I am expecting from a new generation of leaders: Meet these expectations of moral consistency.” PeopleNeedsWritingCommunityLeaderMoralGenerationsMiddleMediaPoliticianExpectationsActiveEastEthicalMiddle EastExpectingAccurateConsistencyVocalNew GenerationBiased Author:Tariq Ramadan
“Those who are talking sharia in Nigeria are really just politicians exploiting what they think is available. But if it should turn out that there are in fact whole sections of the country which believe that it is legitimate to chop off peoples hands because they stole a hen - if that should really turn out to be the genuine belief of responsible, educated people in the North than I would say there is no chance. But I do not believe that is the case. The sharia was always there but it was never force onto non-Muslims and it was not ever applied in the area of criminal law.” PeopleIfsThinkingShouldBelieveCountryWholeFactsHandsLawTurnsBeliefForceChanceTalkingCasesPoliticianAreasResponsibleAvailableCriminalsGenuineEducatedSectionsNigeriaHensCriminal LawSharia Author:Chinua Achebe
“That's why I like to read a lot. That's why I try to keep up on current events, what's going on in the world with the elections and the politicians and business people, because I feel like it's my duty to spread that. I feel like it's my duty to speak on that even if I'm never asked, because I'm representing the people. I don't want to be in a position where I have no knowledge.” PeopleWorldTryingSpeakDutyPoliticianElectionSpread Author:Young Jeezy
“The big frustration for me is that people are growing so cynical about politics that you see them basically shrug and say, "Oh, yeah. Who cares that Harper is shutting down debate? Who cares that he's building prisons, and everything? All the politicians are the same so why should we be outraged about one rather than the other?" And my point is Canadians need to wake up. This is not the Canada they'd recognize if they looked closely.” PeopleCareBuildingPoliticianWake UpPrisonDebateFrustrationCynicalOutraged Author:Justin Trudeau
“I was raised with pretty thick skin. And I think people are hungry for politicians who aren't afraid to say what they think and mean it.” PeopleThinkingMeanPoliticianSkinsHungry Author:Justin Trudeau
“I'm quite optimistic when it comes to the capacity of our people to have an honest discussion about what's really going on. What do you think John McCain's candidacy was about? And the early days of Bill Bradley's candidacy? People are hungry for a genuine, no-spin set of ideas and truths. They want their leaders to tell it like it is. There is a great demand for this. Politicians continually underestimate the ability of the American public to understand what's happening to them and what the real choices are.” PeopleThinkingRealChoicesAbilityLeaderHonestPoliticianHungryOptimisticDiscussionUnderestimate Author:Robert Reich
“I don't know that I would say words are more political now, particularly after Donald Trump has come into office. I will say that what I notice is that people pay more attention to the words that politicians use. They really want to understand the full nuance, the connotative meanings of those words.” PeoplePoliticalAttentionPoliticianOffice Author:Kory Stamper
“I think the arrogance of people who think or actually are in the establishment, think they're part of it or actually are, they cannot help themselves, apparently. They take this guy, Trump, who is not a politician, in the career sense, and they plug him into their system and analyze what he does and what he says the way they analyze professional politicians and what they say and do, and they miss it. Which is not news. The news is they're not even getting close to understanding it yet. Despite the never-ending efforts on the part of people like me to help them figure it out.” PeopleThinkingHelpingGuyUnderstandingEffortMissingPoliticianArrogance Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Hate crimes have increased since the election of Donald Trump. So I'm not surprised. I'm hopeful, very vigilant. We're seeing the same thing as what happened in 1933, when a politician stokes fears and grievances to rally them for a nationalist cause. But nationalism to the exclusion of other people is not nationalism, that's xenophobia.” PeopleHateCrimePoliticianElectionHopefulNationalismGrievance Author:Christian Picciolini
“Under the right conditions, gay people can become politicians and be in control of their lives in a much broader way through activism.” PeoplePoliticianGayActivismGay People Author:Daayiee Abdullah
“I think I'm one of five people in the Senate who's never been a politician before. And now that I am a politician, what I find weird about it is that I respect myself less.” PeopleThinkingPolitician Author:Benjamin E. Sasse
“Unfortunately, people expect a Russian opposition politician to be a manic libertarian who thinks the oligarchs are great, who isn't interested in the problems of retirees and who believes the invisible hand of the market will resolve everything.” PeopleThinkingBelieveProblemPoliticianLibertarianInvisibleResolveManic Author:Alexei Navalny
“I encourage all my colleagues to run for office themselves. But it has become extremely difficult in this system to become a prominent opposition politician. I no longer have any rivals to have a debate with. I need competition. And the people will soon tire of me. They say: Navalny, It's always just Navalny. We want to see someone new.” PeopleRunningDifficultPoliticianOfficeCompetitionDebateTire Author:Alexei Navalny
“I'd like to think that in a generation or two we'll have politicians whose life experience reflects that of the people who are voting for them.” PeopleThinkingPoliticianVotingLife Experience Author:Billy Bragg
“It was my mistake in the first days of the electoral campaign. I understand the mistake. I don't accept that people who say, "Oh, politicians have to refuse to admit the mistakes." No. I am an, I am a man. I can make some mistakes.” PeopleMenMistakeAcceptingPoliticianMy Mistakes Author:Matteo Renzi
“Why is the country not having this conversation, the kind of conversation that requires the politicians who are responsible for the war to be specific to the concerns of the American people.” PeopleKindWarCountryPoliticianConcernResponsible Author:Bill Moyers
“I think that if you see that people are laughing, you know they haven't given up hope. You see that people are laughing because everyone has identified the collective hypocrisy of a law or of a politician who is crafting those laws. It's really nice to know that you can have a range of emotion on an issue. You can feel outrage, you can feel sadness, you can find humor, and all of those things are part of coping and dealing, and really, they give you an inspired way of moving forward as you fight.” PeopleThinkingGivingMovingFightingEmotionLaughingNiceSadnessPoliticianInspiredMoving ForwardHypocrisyCopingReally Nice Author:Lizz Winstead
“Why can't we have a voice? What's the difference between an athlete having millions or Donald Trump? Every time a politician talks, they talk about what's wrong with America. Well, he's an athlete who is also saying something is wrong with America. Why is it that when he talks, people say, 'How can he talk about oppression and make millions?' Well, Trump is talking about it. Hillary Clinton is talking about it. And they have more money than most athletes.” PeoplePoliticianClintonAthleteOppression Author:Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
“Health care's a great example. We spend billions of dollars a year in foreign aid helping people in countries where the money never gets to see the bottom tier, because the bad, corrupt politicians in the government that they have there end up taking what we give them.” PeopleGivingCountryHelpingPoliticianBottomAidsHealth CareHelping People Author:Toby Keith
“You can't go home and look at your plaques at the end of the day, because every politician has like a million plaques on their wall. OK? You don't go home and look at - you don't get anything for that. And you can't go home and say, boy, I really served the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. You want to go home and, you know, Fourth of July, you know, any of these special holidays that recognize our country, you want to feel like you've built a stronger nation, which means you helped build the people and put them in a stronger place where everyone's lifted.” PeopleMeanCountryHomePartyBoysSpecialLike YouWallPoliticianRepublicanStrongerDemocraticHolidayRepublican PartyDemocratic Party Author:John Kasich
“Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, but for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists. An education system flushed with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. We've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own.” PeopleChildrenDifferentRealitySchoolBeautifulWealthShareStudentsPoliticianNeighborhoodEducation SystemYoung And Beautiful Author:Donald Trump
“We're not seeing, you know, dozens of reporters being beaten up. And there may be more attention to it than there has been in the past. But it is important to recognize that the democracy depends on reporters asking people in power questions, so that the general public has information. We can't really self-govern unless information is widespread. And, sometimes, reporters have to be a little aggressive. I mean, you know, the reporter didn't beat up the politician. The politician beat up the reporter.” PeopleMeanImportantSometimesPastAttentionDemocracyPoliticianAggressive Author:Tom Rosenstiel
“I think that the society and our democracy are mature enough to place emphasis on the quality and the value of the individual politician, rather than their gender. Some people will find it fashionable to have a woman leader, but I think the reason people chose me as the leader of this country is because my policies and my values suit the needs of Taiwan today. We represent people who want to have change in the society.” PeopleThinkingCountryReasonEnoughTodayValuesIndividualQualityLeaderDemocracyPolicyPoliticianGenderMatureFashionable Author:Tsai Ing-wen
“Angela Merkel has been focused on the right things. She has focused on the interests of her citizens - and not just in a narrow, short-term way, but in a very thoughtful - Let's make the world a better place for future generations as well - kind of way. Whether it's about climate or migration, she's not afraid to look at the longer-term trendlines and say, OK, we need position ourselves here, even if it doesn't seem obvious - this is the direction we need to go in. People respect that in Merkel, that a politician has a vision for the long term.” PeopleWorldKindLongTermInterestVisionPoliticianObviousFocusedLong TermRight ThingThoughtfulNot AfraidFuture Generation Author:Justin Trudeau
“Ultimately, it is the people who judge, through elections, whether someone governs well or not. It's not up to other politicians to define and determine our colleagues.” PeopleJudgingPoliticianElectionDetermine Author:Justin Trudeau
“My father taught me many things. Two of them come to mind right now: Stay true to your values. You can compromise on policies, but not your fundamental values or else you will get lost in the world of politics. The second thing is to listen to whoever you are talking to. People in your street, other politicians, company heads and workers. Learn from them.” PeopleWorldMindValuesFatherPolicyPoliticianCompromiseStay True Author:Justin Trudeau
“Three strikes' laws make no sense as policy. They are more about the politicians responding to the people's desire to see their fury at social dysfunction reflected in the law. Our sentences are way too long. We need to look at the war on drugs, which is to say we need to look and this is easier said than done. Once again, politically, not an easy lift at all. Nevertheless, our policy is self-defeating. We're not keeping people from using the substances. We're creating a huge black market, just like we did under prohibition, which attracts all kinds of criminal enterprise.” PeopleKindLongWarDoneDesireEasyBlackPolicyPoliticianDrugAll KindsEnterpriseFuryProhibitionWar On Drugs Author:Glenn Loury
“I really believe that art has to play a role in changing the moral direction. Mean, selfish people are in charge of the government and we're letting them make us into a much meaner culture. It reminds me of McCarthyism, to be honest, and to the early stages of fascism. There are people out there cheering for war, treating those deaths like some kind of athletic event. How sick do we have to be that this is not only acceptable, but virtually unchallenged by other politicians or clergy or anyone? And it's artists who have to stand up and be counted. Right now.” PeopleBelieveKindMeanArtWarArtistCultureMoralHonestPoliticianSickSelfishBeing HonestCheerFascismAthleticSelfish People Author:Steve Almond
“I think it's a slightly crazy time actually, it's very difficult to satirise because each of politicians is in their own way enacting a commentary on the world of politics anyway. To then comment on them just feels like adding another layer. I find it very difficult to do jokes about current politics because for me it's all about... I actually genuinely want people to be involved properly, you know? I mean, the number of people who don't vote... Frightening, really.” PeopleThinkingWorldMeanDifficultCrazyPoliticianJokesVoteCommentFrightening Author:Armando Iannucci
“I respect people who are willing to deal with everything that comes with being a politician, but I'm not willing to deal with half the country rooting for you to fail. I'm a singer; I deal with enough. But at least half the country's not trying to destroy me.” PeopleTryingCountryEnoughFailingPoliticianRespect People Author:John Legend
“There's a stupid trend in American politics right now with people who have no experience with politics and no grasp of public service as a profession just deciding that they're going to jump into it. The obvious figurehead of this whole "I am an idiot, therefore I can be a politician" is Donald Trump. People think that ignorance of a profession is somehow qualifying for that profession. It's utterly baffling.” PeopleThinkingStupidIgnorancePoliticianObviousProfessionIdiotPublic Service Author:Steve Albini