No one is innocent after the experience of governing. But not everyone is guilty.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
We used to play marbles for keeps. If you lost, you lost. It is the same way with politics, but not everybody knows this.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote compares playing marbles for keeps to the harsh realities of politics, underscoring that losses can be significant.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan's quote suggests that just as children play marbles with high stakes, where losing means giving up one's marbles, politics operates in a similar high-stakes manner. In the political arena, decisions and outcomes can lead to real losses, and yet many people may not fully grasp the personal and societal costs involved in political conflicts and decisions.
Themes
PoliticsGamesLossStakesReality
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate to highlight the seriousness of the issues at stake.
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The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.
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The richest inheritance any child can have is a stable, loving, disciplined family life.
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