Politician Quotes

No nostalgia runs deeper than that for something one has never known and now cannot obtain.

The entire Negro world looks up to the American Negro, situated in the center of world reaction, to strip the cloak of false democracy from imperialist vultures and to expose their real predatory aims.

I have always perceived, or nearly so, the defects of those I love; and such defects are the only ones I can see clearly. But for the want of archangels, we must love imperfect creatures.

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau

Of Margaret thatcher:

She was a tigress surrounded by hamsters.

We have dared to be free—let us continue free by ourselves, and for ourselves; let us imitate the growing child; his own strength breaks his leading-strings, which become useless and troublesome to him in his walk. What are the people who have fought us? What people would reap the fruits of our labors? And what a dishonorable absurdity, to conquer to be slaves!

Jean-Jacques Dessalines

In the heartlands of Islam, from Saudi mansions to ISIS dungeons, there are still slaves, laboring, beaten, bought, sold, raped and disposed of in Mohammed's name.

Rugby may have many problems, but the gravest is undoubtedly that of the persistence of summer.

I suspect that some of you would say 'A civilized nation is one that has railways, modern industry, organized army, tank, aircraft, etc., and an uncivilized nation is one that does not possess such things.' Or you would say that a civilized nation is one whose cities... have wide and paved streets, with multi-storey buildings, and so on.' Civilized nations, of course, do have such things, but I submit that these are products of civilization, not its essence. The essence of civilization is that people are mature, and the clearest sign of their maturity is that they observe the law.

Mohammad Ali Foroughi

The horse on the treadmill may be very discontented, but he is not disposed to tell his troubles, for he cannot stop to talk.

If such a situation arises, that someone gains an advantage by waging war, that would be a bad example for small and weak nations. It is a shame for the entire international community, for the UN, international organisations and the superpowers that this can go on [referring to the Syrian Civil War. Of course public opinions need to be shaken up. We see demonstrations all the time about all kinds of things, but no one, nowhere has marched because of this.

Loopholes are not always of a fixed dimension. They tend to enlarge as the numbers that pass through wear them away.

Harold Lever, Baron Lever of Manchester

Every ounce of resources in our state should be focused on defeating the hidden enemy we all have in common: COVID-19.

The increase of social wealth is not accompanied by a diminishing number of capitalist magnates, but by an increasing number of capitalists of all degrees.

Eduard Bernstein

The immediate present belongs to the extremists, but the future belongs to the moderates.

Peace purchased at the cost of any part of our national integrity is fit only for slaves, and even when purchased for such a price it is a delusion, for it cannot last.

While Paris gets to your heart, London to your mind, and Jerusalem to your soul, New York gets into your veins, a lifeline that becomes part of you more than you become part of it.

It is appropriate here to recall that the so-called Dark Ages began with the flight of the individuals into the protection of lords or chapters and came to an end when the individual again found it to his advantage to set forth on his own. We live at a time when everything conspires to push the individual into the fold.

Bertrand de Jouvenel

This dream of absolute, universal equality is amazing, terrifying, and inhuman. And the moment it captures people's minds, the result is mountains of corpses and rivers of blood...

Vladimir Bukovsky

We are talking about the biggest foreign policy mistake since Suez.

On the Iraq war

If there is a profound split, I'll gladly re-join Republicans who are dedicated to equality and justice for all.

David Johnson (Iowa politician)

If a man has directed his course to great ends there is compensation even in ruin.

Arthur Lynch (politician)

When General Glascock of Georgia was asked, upon taking his seat in Congress, if he would like to be introduced to Clay:

No, sir! I am his adversary, and choose not to subject myself to his fascination.

Thomas Glascock

I have no interest sitting all day in Brussels committees enacting job-killing, democracy-destroying legislation inspired by the EU.

The Diet Mentality has come about because there is agreement in our society that the only way to lose weight is by dieting. But dieting produces absolutely no permanent, positive results. In fact, it makes you feel worse about yourself and probably does more damage than good to your health.

Being English means, to me, tea on vicarage lawns, roses in a summer twilight, people keeping themselves to themselves, well-fed cats purring on hearthrugs, the bottom right-hand column of the 'Times' correspondence column.