The public think the politicians don't know or care about their lives; and the politicians feel misunderstood.
I may find Saddam Hussein's regime abhorrent - any normal person would - but the survival of it is in his hands.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker acknowledges the abhorrence of a regime while recognizing that its fate ultimately lies with its leader.
In this quote, Tony Blair expresses a complex perspective on leadership and the political landscape, emphasizing that while he personally finds Saddam Hussein's regime unacceptable, the continuation or fall of such a regime is determined by Hussein himself. This highlights the notion that political authority and responsibility rest firmly with those in power, despite external perceptions of their governance.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on political responsibility, one could reference Tony Blair's quote to highlight the role of leaders in maintaining their regimes.
More from Tony Blair
All quotes βThere is no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: Defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must.
Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education and education.
However much I dislike the idea of abortion, you should not criminalize a woman who, in very difficult circumstances, makes that choice.
I want my son to grow up in a place where the people are more powerful than the government and not the other way around.
The blunt truth about the politics of climate change is that no country will want to sacrifice its economy in order to meet this challenge.
Similar quotes
After World War I the resentment of the working class against all that it had to suffer was directed more against Morgan, Wall Street and private capital than the government.
There's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America.
I think, at the end of the day, especially for municipal elections, we see relatively low voter turnout. So the goal is to expand who sees themselves reflected in government, who's empowered to take the lead in politics.
A great state is a well-blended mash of something of all the people and all of none of the people. The liquor of statecraft is distilled from the mash you got.
In Palestine, the Israelis claim they found a land without people,' a Syrian officer explained to us. 'Now they will take southern Lebanon and claim they have found another land without people if these refugees do not return.
Vote for the man who promises least; he'll be the least disappointing.