Let him who desires peace prepare for war.
—Vegetius, c. 385Quotes
Television has made dictatorship impossible, but democracy unbearable.
—Shimon Peres, 1995Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.
—Paul Valéry, 1943There is nothing more tyrannical than a strong popular feeling among a democratic people.
—Anthony Trollope, 1862Politics is the art of the possible.
—Otto von Bismarck, 1867To be turned from one’s course by men’s opinions, by blame, and by misrepresentation shows a man unfit to hold office.
—Quintus Fabius Maximus, c. 203 BCThe spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right.
—Judge Learned Hand, 1944Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.
—Laozi, c. 500 BCA government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.
—George Bernard Shaw, 1944I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.
—Catherine the Great, c. 1796You should never have your best trousers on when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.
—Henrik Ibsen, 1882An appeal to the reason of the people has never been known to fail in the long run.
—James Russell Lowell, c. 1865The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
—H.L. Mencken, 1921