1171) I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it.

John Stuart Mill
letter to Sir John Pakington,
Conservative MP (3/1866) [WQ]
posted by Kevin Harris [UAQ] (7/3/95)

[Note: Aphorized as "Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives."]

1172) We would like to apologize for the way in which politicians are represented in this programme. It was never our intention to imply that politicians are weak-kneed, political time-servers who are more concerned with their personal vendettas and private power struggles than the problems of government, nor to suggest at any point that they sacrifice their credibility by denying free debate on vital matters in the mistaken impression that party unity comes before the well-being of the people they supposedly represent, nor to imply at any stage that they are squabbling little toadies without an ounce of concern for the vital social problems of today. Nor indeed do we intend that viewers should consider them as crabby ulcerous little self-seeking vermin with furry legs and an excessive addiction to alcohol and certain explicit sexual practices which some people might find offensive.

We are sorry if this impression has come across.

Monty Python
(Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam,
Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin)
Monty Python's Flying Circus (TV series)
Episode 3.06: "The War Against Pornography" (11/23/1972)

1173) He's a wonderful talker, who has the art of telling you nothing in a great harangue.

Moliere
The Misanthrope (play, 1666)
spoken by the character Celimene

1174) In political discussion heat is in inverse proportion to knowledge.

J.G.C. Minchin (widely attributed)
posted by Kevin Harris [UAQ] (7/3/95)

1175) [T]he sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.

John Stuart Mill
"On Liberty" (1859) [WQ]
posted by Kevin Harris [UAQ] (7/3/95)

1176) Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.

Charles de Montesquieu
The Spirit of the Laws (1748) [WQ]
posted by Kevin Harris [UAQ] (7/3/95)

1177) The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.

Charles de Montesquieu
The Spirit of the Laws (1748)
posted by Kevin Harris [UAQ] (7/3/95)