One of the questions that has most bothered me in my reflections on culture is the question of kitsch. Just what is it? When did it begin? And why?
Roger ScrutonRead
The main aim of conservative politicians is to get through to the next election without being noticed. Nothing is more embarrassing to them than a person who claims not only to share their beliefs but also to be inclined to put them into practice.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes conservative politicians for their focus on re-election over genuine belief in their principles.
Roger Scruton highlights the tendency of conservative politicians to prioritize their political survival over true commitment to their ideologies. They often avoid actions that would reveal their beliefs in practice, as such transparency could lead to scrutiny and embarrassment, particularly if they fail to live up to their proclaimed values. This reflects a broader commentary on political authenticity and the disconnect between rhetoric and reality in politics.
Themes
PoliticsConservatismElectionBeliefsAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about political integrity, this quote can illustrate how politicians often prioritize re-election over principles.
More from Roger Scruton
All quotes →There are big questions science doesn't answer, such as why is there something rather than nothing? There can't be a scientific answer to that because it's the answer that precedes science.
Roger ScrutonRead
18th century opera is packed with emotion, but contains not a trace of kitsch. Only with the 'thees' and 'thous' of Victorian poetry does the disease begin to grow in our poetic tradition.
Roger ScrutonRead
The robust English view used to be that the correct response to offensive words is to ignore them, or to answer them with a rebuke. If you invoke the law at all, it should be to protect the one who gives the offence, and not the one who takes it. Now, it seems, it is all the other way round.
Roger ScrutonRead
For two centuries the English countryside has been an icon of national identity and the loved reminder of our island home. Yet the government is bent on littering the hills with wind turbines and the valleys with high speed railways.
Roger ScrutonRead
You cannot own a symphony or a novel in the way you can own a Damien Hirst. As a result there are far fewer fake symphonies or fake novels than there are fake works of visual art.
Roger ScrutonRead
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