Political Quotes

[corydoras]

I wish I could have met Ben Franklin, I am sure we would have gotten along.

 

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

Very apt these days.

Edited August 11, 2007 by corydoras

[Alan Stubbs]

John F Kennedy: 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'

 

How profound and uplifting to a city surrounded by the Russians "I am a jam doughnut!"

 

Who said George Dubya had the monopoly in mangling a language?

 

If he had said "Ich bin Berliner", it would have made far more sense to the beleaguered denizens of the beautiful city. Worse still he was reading it from cue cards written by Willi Brandt, and added the indefinite article himself.

 

 

 

Henri IV of France: "Paris vaut bien une messe" ("Paris is well worth a Mass") - Given that the French have never defended their capital city in the last 150 years, I very much doubt it was worth a mass!

 

(Excuse the irony, I adore Paris - it's my favourite city)

Edited August 11, 2007 by Alan Stubbs

[corydoras]

John F Kennedy: 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'

 

How profound and uplifting to a city surrounded by the Russians "I am a jam doughnut!"

I don't think that it really mattered. The Berliners new what he MEANT and that is more important than the grammar. I often make similar mistakes in French, occasionally I get corrected, or it raises a titter, but it seldom causes offence. (Apart from one time when I got dégulasse confused with dégoûtant) Edited August 11, 2007 by corydoras

[corydoras]

Another one from Ben Franklin. Not political, but typical Franklin.

I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up.

[Ken L]

Not from a politician. From a biologist - but it doesn't get much more political:

 

"The welfare state is perhaps the geatest altruistic system the animal kingdom has ever known. But any altruistic system is inherently unstable, because it is open to abuse by selfish individuals, ready to exploit it."

 

Richard Dawkins - The selfish gene.

 

 

The follow up appears to me to be an early broadside at the established church - particularly, the Catholic and Islamic church.

 

"Individual humans who have more children than they are capable of rearing are probably too ignorant in most cases to be acused of cocious malevolent exploitation. Powerful institutions and leaders who deliberatly encourage them to do so seem to me less free from suspicion."

[chesters1]

Here's one for you chesters.

 

The original

As he would have said it had he been a Brit

i would have said i wasent a member of any political party i'm a party pooper

[corydoras]

Whilst not strictly speaking a political quote, this one kills me. Jerry Falwell was one of these daft fundies.

 

"Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them."

CNN's Crossfire 17/05/1997

Edited August 13, 2007 by corydoras