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The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it.
P. J. O'Rourke
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote critiques the contrasting views of government between the two major political parties in the U.S.

P.J. O'Rourke humorously highlights the differing philosophies of the Democratic and Republican parties regarding the role of government in improving citizens' lives. He suggests that Democrats advocate for government as a solution to problems and improvement of individual lives, while Republicans express skepticism towards government effectiveness but still take control and demonstrate its failures.

Themes

GovernmentPoliticsPartiesDemocratsRepublicansCritique

In practice

Example use cases

In a political debate to illustrate the differences between party platforms.

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Predicting innovation is something of a self-canceling exercise: the most probable innovations are probably the least innovative.
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The idea of a news broadcast once was to find someone with information and broadcast it. The idea now is to find someone with ignorance and spread it around.
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