I started my political life in the Resistance. It was there that I had my first responsibility.
Interpretation
Francois Mitterrand reflects on the significance of his early experiences in the Resistance as foundational to his political career.
In this quote, Francois Mitterrand emphasizes the importance of his initial involvement in the Resistance as a pivotal moment that shaped his political values and responsibilities. The experiences he gained while fighting for freedom and justice during a critical period were essential in forming his identity as a leader and politician, illustrating how foundational struggles can lead to greater commitments in life.
In practice
During a political debate, a candidate may use this quote to highlight their dedication to justice and historical context.
Inequality also distorts our democracy. It gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder. And it leaves everyone else rightly suspicious that the system in Washington is rigged against them - that our elected representatives aren't looking out for the interests of most Americans.
If you want to rip the heart out of a democracy, you go after the facts. That's what modern authoritarians do. You lie. All the time. Then, you say it's your opponents and the journalists who lie.
It is one of history's ironies that Communism, advertised as a classless society, tended to breed a privileged class of feudal proportions.
The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.
Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the constant omission of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.
Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt.
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