Dumb Things Politicians Say

[dapoes]

This thread would be a whole lot shorter if we titled it "Smart Things Politicians Say"

You mean like:

"Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide."

"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress."

"Banks have done more injury to the religion, morality, tranquility, prosperity, and even wealth of the nation than they can have done or ever will do good."

"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it."

"All good government is and must be republican. But at the same time, you can or will agree with me, that there is not in lexicography a more fraudulent word... Are we not, my friend, in danger of rendering the word republican unpopular in this country by an indiscreet, indeterminate, and equivocal use of it? [...] Whenever I use the word republic with approbation, I mean a government in which the people have collectively, or by representation, an essential share in the sovereignty... the republican forms in Poland and Venice are much worse, and those of Holland and Bern very little better, than the monarchical form in France before the late revolution."

John Adams

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Was there even such things as a "law firm" in John Adams' day?

One of my favorites from John Adams (that has been substantiated) is:

"Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it."

Recently -- and rather unfortunately -- I have seen politicians use fear as their tool to get their way... and this has been used effectively by both sides of the aisle.

 

[dapoes]

Was there even such things as a "law firm" in John Adams' day?

Are you serious? John Adams and His brother Samuel Adams were highly distinguished lawyers.

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Are you serious? Slept thru history class perhaps???

John Adams and His brother Samuel Adams were highly distinguished lawyers.

A law firm and lawyer is distinguishable.

 

[dapoes]

A law firm and lawyer is distinguishable.

Then you should know the answer already.

 

[dapoes]

Was there even such things as a "law firm" in John Adams' day?

One of my favorites from John Adams (that has been substantiated) is:

"Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it."

Recently -- and rather unfortunately -- I have seen politicians use fear as their tool to get their way... and this has been used effectively by both sides of the aisle.

Yes I agree...

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Then you should know the answer already.

I was asking because many quotes are erroneously attributed to John Adams, when, in reality, they were drummed up years later but attributed to Adams in order to lend credence. Same thing happens with Madison, Washington, Lincoln, etc. Nonetheless, I enjoy the law firm/congress quote... it sounds like something that would have come out of Mark Twain's mouth.

 

[dapoes]

Uhm... OK. Anyways, I was asking because many quotes are erroneously attributed to John Adams, when, in reality, they were drummed up years later but attributed to Adams in order to lend credence. Same thing happens with Madison, Washington, Lincoln, etc.

Ok I see, so then yes there were firms back then. See Link

 

[Gilding the Lily]

Ok I see, so then yes there were firms back then. See Link

Thanks. I didn't know if "law firm" was a phrase at use at the time; it appears it may have been. Thanks. Knowing that many of our senators are lawyers, that quote seems rather appropriate.

 

[777 fixer]

Are you serious? John Adams and His brother Samuel Adams were highly distinguished lawyers.

Did you know that John Adams and Samuel Adams were not brotehrs? Obviously not.

 

[Garfield1966]

Did you know that John Adams and Samuel Adams were not brotehrs? Obviously not.

Was one of them a beer maker? Just asking.

 

[777 fixer]

Was one of them a beer maker? Just asking.

That was one of the various titles he held in his lifetime. Although I'm not 100% sure as far as I know he was never an attorney.

 

[Garfield1966]

OK, I was just joking. I did not know the beer with is name was really his beer (not a drinker). That's kind of a cool piece of history.

Any way, continue schooling Dapoes. Quite entertaining.

 

[dapoes]

Did you know that John Adams and Samuel Adams were not brotehrs? Obviously not.

oops guess im the one who slept thru history class. They were referred to at the time as the Adams or Adams brothers even tho they were cousins, not brothers. I got him confused with John Quincy Adams, the son of John Adams and was also a lawyer.

 

[dapoes]

OK, I was just joking. I did not know the beer with is name was really his beer (not a drinker). That's kind of a cool piece of history.

It was named after Samuel Adams, however even tho he was a (failed) brewer at the time. There is no direct connection the brand and the actual person.

From Wiki

The Samuel Adams brand began with Samuel Adams Boston Lager. The original recipe was developed in 1860 in St. Louis, Missouri by Louis Koch, who sold under the name Louis Koch Lager until Prohibition, and again until the early 1950s.

Interestingly enough, fellow Patriot Paul Revere's portrait appears on the front of each bottle, allegedly due to Samuel Adams' notoriously bad looks.