We the people tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us.
Ronald ReaganRead
In politics you must always keep running with the pack. The moment that you falter and they sense that you are injured, the rest will turn on you like wolves.
Interpretation
In politics, one must stay strong and united; vulnerability attracts opportunism from others.
Rab Butler's quote highlights the competitive and often ruthless nature of politics. It suggests that a political figure must appear strong and relentless, as any sign of weakness can lead to an immediate and aggressive reaction from opponents, who will be eager to capitalize on that vulnerability.
In practice
A political leader may use this quote during a campaign to emphasize the need for resilience against opponents.
We the people tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us.
Politics is not an end, but a means. It is not a product, but a process. It is the art of government. Like other values it has its counterfeits. So much emphasis has been placed upon the false that the significance of the true has been obscured and politics has come to convey the meaning of crafty and cunning selfishness, instead of candid and sincere service.
After all, Wall Street is clearly the most powerful lobbying force on Capitol Hill. From 1998 through 2008, the financial sector spent over $5 billion in lobbying and campaign contributions to deregulate Wall Street.
For Conservatives, all disputes over law, liberty and justice are addressed to a historic and existing community. The root of politics, they believe, is attachment - the motive in human beings that binds them to the place, the customs, the history and the people who are theirs.
There does not have to be trade-off between growth and social protection. A democracy does not mean much if it doesn't respond to the needs and will of its people.
I can express all my views on the slavery question by quotations from Henry Clay.
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