An Honest politician will not be tolerated by a democracy unless he is very stupid ... because only a very stupid man can honestly share the prejudices of more than half the nation.
Interpretation
The quote critiques the incompatibility between honesty in politics and the prejudiced beliefs held by the majority of society.
Bertrand Russell's quote suggests that in a democratic system, an honest politician is often at odds with the prevailing prejudices of the populace. He implies that only a foolish person could genuinely align with the biased views that dominate public opinion, as true integrity would conflict with the majority's often unexamined beliefs. This highlights the challenges faced by those who seek to uphold honesty in a political landscape that rewards conformity to popular prejudices.
In practice
This quote can be used in a political debate to emphasize the importance of honesty.
St. Paul introduced an entirely novel view of marriage, that it existed primarily to prevent the sin of fornication. It is just as if one were to maintain that the sole reason for baking bread is to prevent people from stealing cake.
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Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.
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Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.
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The less government interferes with private pursuits, the better for general prosperity.
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Nothing is more false than the notion that the triumph of Communism is inevitable or that the Communists are steadily pushing the free world into a corner.
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