Chinese Proverb Quotes
Governing a state without ritual is like plowing a field without a plowshare.
Chinese Proverb
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
In 1875 Benjamin Disraeli had an opportunity to purchase the Suez Canal for Great Britain from the Khedive of Egypt who was in great need of cash. However, Disraeli had to act very fast and there was no way to quickly move an appropriation of the then very large sum of 4 million pounds through Parliament. So he sent Corry to ask Lionel Rothchild, the British financier, for a loan until the government might raise the money. Rothchild asked, what would be the security for such a large loan. Rothchild immediately gave the loan.
This was the lesson we learned in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, American leadership at the time knew little of this quotation.
Many feel that this explains why he never ran for the Presidency even though he was the odds on favorite to win the Democratic Party Primary and the General Election.
