favorite "political" quotes

[JohnRoberts]

‘If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart.  If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain.’

“The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”...that you don't agree with. My apologies(sincerely). I wasn't the first one. I will refrain from posting political items outside of political threads.

The 2 political quotes above are from another member. You just chose to look beyond those... or haven't seen them yet.

only two quotes out of my seven favorites were from famous leaders. One was critical of socialism humorously pointing out the obvious flaw with that system. The observation about how life experience changes/matures most of us, is a truism, at least it is consistent with my personal life experience. (Back in the 1960s I protested against the Viet Nam war. Back then we didn't burn buildings or loot stores.)

Our forum is one of the few that still allows political discussion because it has become so ugly and mean spirited these days. For the record there is no rule against making political comments in the brewery as long as we remain civil. I have even named some duplicate threads "political" trying to attract such partisan discussions to keep them sequestered and easier for the uninterested to ignore.

I am sorry that my quotes triggered you, that was not my intent.

---------------

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

My favorite purely "political" quote is from President Kennedy's inauguration speech in 1961, it seems timely today when everybody seems to be expecting free sh__ from our government. The iron lady's quote was kind of a political/economic statement made during the Reagan era, but some might call it the Thatcher era. 

For those who don't know John F Kennedy was a democrat, a catholic, a WWII war hero, and likely made it past third base with Marilyn Monroe, who famously sang Happy Birthday to him, despite having a trophy first lady back in the white house.  8) 

JR

 

[living sounds]

No clear definition exists for what "Liberal", "Socialism" and "Conservative" actually means. Opinions vary widely what actually constitutes policy under these terms.

The quotes may thus intuitively appear to be witty, but they are acutally quite meaningless. Ultimately there is an underlying complexity to most issues and an interdepency with other issues, that lies beyond the reach of the grasp of most voters, and to varying extends of many non-partisan experts.

This should also give everyone pause to reconsider the implimentation of broad-stroke policy agendas.

The limiting factor on policy success in history has of course always been reality, with human nature usually being the central element.

Also, the saying "If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain" is actually quite offensive IMO. And pitifully arrogant. And it doesn't make any sense, since we don't know what actually constitutes a "conservative", see above.

An example about definitions:

"Socialism" of the Soviet variety, an authoritarian political system combined with a collectivist top-down-economic system and de facto rule of small elite didn't fare so well.

But democratic "Socialism", as practised in Denmark or Sweden, a liberal and democratic political system combined with an economic system of individualist entrepreneurship and collectivist redistribution has produced the best outcome for the biggest number of citizens. BTW, this is the kind of system Bernie and AOC advocate for.

I like this quote:

"The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened."

John F. Kennedy

 

[living sounds]

Another great quote:

"Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work, and then get elected and prove it."

P.J. O'Rourke

 

[JohnRoberts]

I like this quote:

"The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened."

John F. Kennedy

Yup another good one..

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said "no one is free until we are all free."

With any number of biblical quotes calling for charitable behavior toward neighbors.

JR

PS On that topic it is distressing to see China tighten the screws further on democracy proponents in Hong Kong, while treating the Uighars very badly. ( Some might consider the reeducation camps "Free education"  , others consider them concentration camps). China is not even trying to hide their illegal trade with North Korea (lots of coal) violating international sanctions. We'll see if ambassador Buttigieg (Mayor Pete) can get them to behave.

 

[Matador]

[quote author=Davis X. Machina]
The salient fact of American politics is that there are fifty to seventy million voters each of whom will volunteer to live, with his family, in a cardboard box under an overpass, and cook sparrows on an old curtain rod, if someone would only guarantee that the black, gay, Hispanic, liberal, whatever, in the next box over doesn’t even have a curtain rod, or a sparrow to put on it.
[/quote]

 

[crazydoc]

H.L. Mencken is my favorite.

The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.

 

[living sounds]

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”

Voltaire

 

[Tubetec]

Theres a good old quote I like , it kinda counterpoints yet compliments  Kennedys 'for country' saying,

'We need people live for their country , not to die for it...'

I had always thought it was said by Irish Taoiseach and Corkman Jack Lynch when the troubles sparked off up North in the late 60's , I cant seem to verify that theory , it also seems to be linked with Tomás McCurtain first catholic mayor of Cork , and prominent republican , ironically enough he was executed in front of his family by a British government backed RIC death squad in March 1920 .

 

[john12ax7]

"I am, at the Fed level, libertarian; at the state level, Republican; at the local level, Democrat; and at the family and friends level, a socialist.
If that saying doesn’t convince you of the fatuousness of left vs. right labels, nothing will."

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

 

[Tubetec]

I liked that one a lot John , thanks


“Part of what psychedelics do is they decondition you from cultural values. This is what makes it such a political hot potato. Since all culture is a kind of con game, the most dangerous candy you can hand out is one which causes people to start questioning the rules of the game.”

Terrence McKenna

 

[Tubetec]

Lots more nuggets of wisdom/madness by Terence here ,

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/9243.Terence_McKenna?page=2

 

[JohnRoberts]

'We need people live for their country , not to die for it...'

I was drafted into the army and they didn't ask us to die for our country, they asked us to shoot our enemies, but not actually kill them. If you wound an enemy soldier, it takes other enemy soldiers out of the fight to carry them back to safety for medical attention.

JR

 

 

[Tubetec]

Thanks for the reply JohnR.

'The object of war is not to die for your country ,but to make the other b'stard die for his' 
George S. Patton is credited with that but there seems to be a few different versions doing the rounds , some very obviously re-jigged to suit a particular view point or modern day political correctness.

'Ideology always paves the way toward atrocity' Terence McKenna
resonates with Voltaires quote from Living sounds.

 

[iturnknobs]

"And just like the radical left tries to blacklist you on social media, every time I put out a tweet, even if it’s totally correct, totally correct. I get a flag. I get a flag. And they also don’t let you get out. On Twitter, it’s very hard to come on to my account. It’s very hard to get out a message. They don’t let the message get out nearly like they should, but I’ve had many people say, “I can’t get on your Twitter.”"
-DJT

 

[iturnknobs]

"You see the mob takes the Fifth, If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment."

-Donald J. Trump (April 2018)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-deposed-ny-ag-civil-probe-business-practices-rcna42355

 

[AnalogPackrat]

“I own I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.”
--Thomas Jefferson in letter to James Madison 1787

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--Benjamin Franklin

"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."
--Theodore Roosevelt

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well."
--Theodore Roosevelt

 

[iturnknobs]

"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."
--Theodore Roosevelt

Point not made.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...lding-nail-gun-flees-leading-inters-rcna42669
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/8...imo-highland-park-parade-fourth-july-massacre
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...l-shooter-salvador-ramos-family-b2091598.html
Useless votes are what caused all of these situations.

https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-in-us-history-2017-10

 

[ruffrecords]

Point not made.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...lding-nail-gun-flees-leading-inters-rcna42669
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/8...imo-highland-park-parade-fourth-july-massacre
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...l-shooter-salvador-ramos-family-b2091598.html
Useless votes are what caused all of these situations.

https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-in-us-history-2017-10

Yes, starting with the vote that created the stupid amendment that grants US citizens the right to bear arms.

Cheers

ian

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Point not made.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...lding-nail-gun-flees-leading-inters-rcna42669
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/8...imo-highland-park-parade-fourth-july-massacre
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...l-shooter-salvador-ramos-family-b2091598.html
Useless votes are what caused all of these situations.

https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-mass-shootings-in-us-history-2017-10

You missed the point as you jumped onto your narrative train to idiocy. Mind, like parachute, is only useful when open.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Yes, starting with the vote that created the stupid amendment that grants US citizens the right to bear arms.

Cheers

ian

Stay on your side of the pond, then.

Cheers,
Person not fearful of actual freedom