Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy – Ernest Benn
Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other – Oscar Ameringer,
We have the best government that money can buy – Mark Twain
A lot has been said about politics; some of it complimentary, but most of it accurate – Eric Idle
Opher, yesterday I re-read Machiavelli’s “The Prince.” In translation, of course. It’s only 88 pages! You should put it on your reading list. Here are five Machiavelli quotes I thought good enough to include in my next set of “philosophical” essays.
“A wise prince should think of a method by which his citizens, at all times and in every circumstance, will need the assistance of the state and of himself.” “Affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.” “A prince, and especially a new prince, cannot observe all those things for which men are considered good, for in order to maintain the state he is often obliged to act against his promise, against charity, against humanity and against religion.” “A wise ruler, therefore, cannot and should not keep his word when such an observance if faith would be to his disadvantage and when the reasons which made him promise are removed.” “It is necessary to know how to disguise this nature well and to be a great hypocrite and a liar.”
BTW, I did enjoy the Ernest Benn quote, but Eric Idle has it right.
Cheers Neil. That Prince is very Machiavellian! Reminded me of Boris Johnson.