Laws are like sausages. You sleep far better the less you know about how they are made.
Otto Von BismarckRead
Politics is the art of the next best.
Interpretation
Politics often involves compromise and making the best possible decisions under challenging circumstances.
The quote by Otto Von Bismarck emphasizes that politics is not about achieving perfection but rather about finding the most viable solutions when ideal options are unavailable. It highlights the necessity for politicians to navigate complexity and prioritize practical outcomes over lofty ideals.
In practice
In a discussion on effective governance, referencing this quote can illustrate the need for realistic strategies.
Laws are like sausages. You sleep far better the less you know about how they are made.
Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.
With a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and with a fraud I try to be a fraud and a half.
Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable β the art of the next best
It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong.
A generation that has taken a beating is always followed by a generation that deals one.
American fascism will not be really dangerous until there is a purposeful coalition among the cartelists, the deliberate poisoners of public information, and those who stand for the K.K.K. type of demagoguery.
There is no more independence in politics than there is in jail.
Politics in America is the binding secular religion.
What we have ignored is what citizens can do and the importance of real involvement of the people involved - versus just having somebody in Washington make a rule.
I seldom think of politics more than eighteen hours a day.
Ours is a system of corporate socialism, where companies capitalize their profits and socialize their lossesβ¦in effect, they tax you for their accidents, bungling, boondoggles, and mismanagement, just like a government. We should be able to deselect them.
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