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Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.
John Kenneth Galbraith
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Politics involves making difficult choices between undesirable options rather than simply achieving what is possible.

This quote by John Kenneth Galbraith highlights the essence of political decision-making, where leaders are often faced with choices that are less than ideal. Instead of being able to select from a range of feasible and attractive alternatives, politicians typically must navigate a landscape where every option has significant drawbacks, thus emphasizing the often-unpleasant reality of governance.

Themes

PoliticsDecision-MakingChoicesGovernanceLeadership

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the upcoming election, one might quote Galbraith to illustrate the tough choices politicians face.

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