Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.
John Kenneth GalbraithRead
Make sure your son and daughter understands they don't get to decide when or where they go to war. It is rich, predominantly white men in the House and Senate that have the power to send children of other parents - but not their own children - off to die [and] be injured in a senseless war.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We must recognize that decisions about war are made by those who often do not bear its consequences.
Tomas Young highlights the injustice of war by pointing out that political leaders, often from privileged backgrounds, send others to fight while shielding their own children from such sacrifice. This quote emphasizes the disparity between those in power and the common citizens who suffer the consequences of political decisions, particularly in matters of war.
Themes
WarPoliticsInequalityConsequencesPower
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on social justice, this quote can illustrate the disconnect between politicians and the realities faced by military families.
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