Politics and Power

There is no other salvation for civilization and even for the human race than in the creation of a world government, with the security of nations founded upon law. As long as there are sovereign states with their separate armaments and armament secrets, new world wars cannot be avoided.

The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful, and then only for a short while.

The only justifiable purpose of political institutions is to assure the unhindered development of the individual… That is why I consider myself to be particularly fortunate to be an American.

In the case of political, and even of religious, leaders, it is often very doubtful whether they have done more good or harm.

Freedom, in any case, is only possible by constantly struggling for it. A citizenry that is politically indifferent will always end up enslaved no matter what form its constitution and legal institutions take.

As long as I have any choice, I will stay only in a country where political liberty, toleration, and equality of all citizens before the law are the rule.

The State exists for man, not man for the State… I believe that the most important mission of the State is to protect the individual and make it possible for him to develop into a creative personality. The State should be our servant; we should not be slaves of the State. The State violates this precept when it forces us to perform military service.

To punish me for my contempt of authority, Fate has made me an authority myself.

If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew.

Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

The art of government is to make two-thirds of a nation pay all it possibly can pay for the benefit of the other third.

Governments need both shepherds and butchers.

This agglomeration which was called and which still calls itself the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.

Dans ce pays-ci il est bon de tuer de temps en temps un amiral pour encourager les autres.

These two nations have been at war over a few acres of snow near Canada, and … they are spending on this fine struggle more than Canada itself is worth.

Tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento (Hae tibi erunt artes), pacique imponere morem, Parcere subiectis et debellare superbos.

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.

All kings is mostly rapscallions.

I didn’t fire him [General MacArthur] because he was a dumb son of a bitch, although he was, but that’s not against the law for generals. If it was, half to three-quarters of them would be in jail.

Wherever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.

A statesman is a politician who’s been dead 10 or 15 years.

It’s a recession when your neighbour loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours.

All the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.

Experience shows that the most dangerous moment for a bad government is generally that in which it sets about reform.