All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.
—Al Smith, 1933Quotes
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.
—Thomas Jefferson, 1787Why has the government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
—Alexander Hamilton, 1787The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.
—John Nance Garner, c. 1967It is a certain sign of a wise government and proceeding, when it can hold men’s hearts by hopes, when it cannot by satisfaction.
—Francis Bacon, 1625Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
—Ambrose Bierce, 1906Written laws are like spiderwebs: they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.
—Anacharsis, c. 550 BCI’m president of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli!
—George H. W. Bush, 1990Politics is the art of the possible.
—Otto von Bismarck, 1867A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.
—George Bernard Shaw, 1944Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.
—Paul Valéry, 1943Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.
—E.B. White, 1944The Revolution is made by man, but man must forge his revolutionary spirit from day to day.
—Che Guevara, 1968