Sunday 3 February 2008

Politicians

Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~Plato


During a campaign the air is full of speeches - and vice versa.


Some Political Quotes:

One ought to recognize that the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language, and that one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end.
If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy. You cannot speak any of the necessary dialects, and when you make a stupid remark, its stupidity will be obvious, even to yourself.
Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.
One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits, and from time to time, one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase - some jackboot, Achilles' heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno or other lump of verbal refuse - into the dustbin where it belongs. ~
George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," Shooting an Elephant, 1950


An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry. ~T.S. Eliot

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become Prime Minister; I'm beginning to believe it. ~after Clarence Darrow

Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~Ronald Reagan

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. ~George Jean Nathan

Politics, n: [Poly "many" + tics "blood-sucking parasites"] ~Larry Hardiman

The reason there are so few female politicians is that it is too much trouble to put makeup on two faces. ~Maureen Murphy

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. ~Aesop

All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field. ~Albert Einstein

Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~Richard Armour

Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. ~Doug Larson

The problem with political jokes is they get elected. ~Henry Cate, VII

Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party. ~Winston Churchill

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. ~Thomas Jefferson

A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation. ~James Freeman Clarke

We have, I fear, confused power with greatness. ~Stewart Udall


Truth is not determined by majority vote. ~Doug Gwyn

"Pura Vida"

3 comments:

The Ancient Mariner said...

Vary good collection you have here, Capt Karim. Would like to use a few, if I may.

Saw you and the memsahib at the midvalley megamall last Thursday but couldnt say hello as I was in a hurry.

mindful mariner said...

Many thanks for the comment, Capt. Yusof; please go ahead and use any, or all the quotes.
I got them mainly from Internet sources.

A lot of them ring true here in Malaysia don't they.

Didn't see you last Thursday, we were at Mid Valley for a Petpostive Disabled & Elderly CNY event, which was very kindly sponsored by Mid Valley City, Cititel, Boulevard Hotel and The Gardens.

Full details of the visit can be seen at
http://petpositive.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

hi mindful mariner:

poliicians must now think 2X be4 visiting thy minEfield.

I'll go 1UP on AM -- I plan to steal the quotesful during one midnight raid, ISA style:)--Desi