Political Wisdom Quotes

If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates.

The beginning of political wisdom is the realization that despite everything you’ve always been taught, the government is not really on your side; indeed, it is out to get you.

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

I believe we are going to have to prepare ourselves for the difficult and patient task of outgrowing rigid and intransigent nationalism, and work slowly towards a world federation of peaceful nations. How will this be possible? Don't ask me. I don't know. But unless we develop a moral, spiritual, and political wisdom that is proportionate to our technological skill, our skill may end us.

In America we're seeing the emergence of Donald Trump, who's the anti-establishment candidate, if you will, who's bucking all the conventional political wisdom on the basis of the fact that so many Americans feel that they've been left behind by the political system and that it's working to entrench advantage by insiders, rather than advantage the people of that country.

Man, says Protagoras, now has the wisdom necessary for life ... but he does not have political wisdom. At this point, people are living spread out and hence are at the mercy of stronger animals, who begin killing them off.... They seek to save themselves from the beasts by banding together and forming cities. But they do injustice to one another, at such close quarters, because they lack the political art. So, dispersed once more, they begin perishing again.

It may be assumed as an axiom that Providence has never gifted any political party with all of political wisdom or blinded it with all of political folly.

Will not perhaps the temporal power of Islam return and with it the menace of an armed Mohammedan world, which will shake off the domination of Europeans - still nominally Christian - and reappear as the prime enemy of our civilization? The future always comes as a surprise, but political wisdom consists in attempting at least some partial judgment of what that surprise may be. And for my part I cannot but believe that a main unexpected thing of the future is the return of Islam.

The study of History is the beginning of wisdom.

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

Neither an enlightened philosophy, nor all the political wisdom of Rome, nor even the faith and virtue of the Christians availed against the incorrigible tradition of antiquity. Something was wanted, beyond all the gifts of reflection and experience - a faculty of self government and self control, developed like its language in the fibre of a nation, and growing with its growth.

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.

Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.

Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.

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

Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.

I have sworn upon the altar of god.

I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man.

I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.

My heart trembles when I reflect that God is just

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.

It would seem, then, to be the part of political wisdom to found government on property; and to establish such distribution of property, by the laws which regulate its transmission and alienation, as to interest the great majority of society in the protection of the government.

I have sworn upon the altar of God Eternal, hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.

MULTITUDE, n. A crowd; the source of political wisdom and virtue. In a republic, the object of the statesman's adoration.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.