Money never seems to be interested in strengthening regulatory agencies, for example, but always in subverting them, in making them miss the danger signs in coal mines and in derivatives trading and in deep-sea oil wells.
Thomas FrankRead
Bad government is the natural product of rule by those who believe government is bad.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bad governance arises when leaders have a negative view of government itself.
In this quote, Thomas Frank highlights that if those in power view government as inherently flawed or harmful, their actions will likely reflect that belief, leading to ineffective or harmful governance. It suggests that a lack of faith in the institution of government can result in an inability to govern effectively, as leaders may prioritize dismantling rather than improving systems that are meant to serve the public.
Themes
GovernmentLeadershipPoliticsTrustPower
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a political debate to emphasize the importance of faith in democratic institutions.
More from Thomas Frank
All quotes βMoney has transformed every watchdog, every independent authority. Medical doctors are increasingly gulled by the lobbying of pharmaceutical salesmen.
Thomas FrankRead
Concerns about the size and role of government are what seem to leave reformers stammering and speechless in town-hall meetings. The right wants to have a debate over fundamental principles; elected Democrats seem incapable of giving it to them.
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Corruption is uniquely reprehensible in a democracy because it violates the system's first principle, which we all learned back in the sunshiny days of elementary school: that the government exist to serve the public, not particular companies or individuals or even elected officials.
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This aesthetic quality, then, is what politics is all about. It's authenticity that separates winners from losers, good politics from bad, and he-man leader-types from consultant-directed puppet-boys.
Thomas FrankRead
Just as the financial crisis has created toxic assets and 'zombie' financial institutions, so has it transformed conservatism into a movement of the living dead.
Thomas FrankRead
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