I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
My politics are short and sweet, like the old woman's dance.
Interpretation
Lincoln emphasizes simplicity and directness in his political approach.
In this quote, Abraham Lincoln alludes to the idea that his political beliefs and actions are straightforward and uncomplicated. The comparison to an 'old woman's dance' suggests a playful, maybe whimsical nature, implying that politics should be accessible and not overly complicated, much like a simple yet enjoyable dance.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the importance of clear communication in politics.
I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
Government ought to be as much open to improvement as anything which appertains to man, instead of which it has been monopolized from age to age, by the most ignorant and vicious of the human race. Need we any other proof of their wretched management, than the excess of debts and taxes with which every nation groans, and the quarrels into which they have precipitated the world?"
The chief internal enemies of any state are not spies nor saboteurs nor the paid agents of foreign governments. They are, on the contrary, those myriads of public officials who betray the trust imposed upon them by the people.
France has no friends, only interests.
Nationalism is a tool increasingly used by leaders to bolster their authority, especially amid difficult economic and political conditions.
The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power.
I don't know a country in the world that doesn't have borders and doesn't want to know who is coming into their country.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.