Alice Rivlin Quotes

Economists want their discipline to be a science, and they have nailed down a few precepts, but many of their debates are still clouded by ideology.

The legitimacy of the West is contested by the very skepticism it holds so dear.

I don’t have an ideology.

The CBO is part of an intricate web that has been woven that is designed to be an obstacle to Republican ideas and greased lightning for Democrat ideas, while everybody claims it's nonpartisan. But that's not possible. It simply isn't nonpartisan, and it can't be.

If you agree with some tenets of Objectivism, but disagree with others, do not call yourself an Objectivist; give proper authorship credit for the parts you agree with

I want an actor to try to give me what I ask in the best and most exact way possible. He mustn't try to find out more, because then there's the danger that he'll become his own director.

Socialists have always spent much of their time seeking new titles for their beliefs, because the old versions so quickly become outdated and discredited.

Marxism is not scientific: at the best, it has scientific prejudices.

Using the word ‘political’ in the widest possible sense. Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other peoples’ idea of the kind of society that they should strive after. Once again, no book is genuinely free from political bias. The opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude.

Ideology - that is what gives evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the neccessary steadfastness and determination... Thanks to ideology, the twentieth century was fated to experience evildoing on a scale calculated in the millions.

If a director takes the time to document - to step back to observe - I think it I more honest. Because it has to be the public that makes the conclusions and who, possibly, resolves the situation.

I don't care if my opinion falls on the right or the left. I'm more of what I call a passionate centrist. I just believe what I believe. I'm not trying to prove anything for the right or the left. Which gives me freedom to make jokes about either side, too.

It is hard to sell Congress and the American people on foreign aid. Is it harder to do that than it is to sell billionaires on the idea that they should give all their money away.

I'm just a journalist. I shine a mirror to the culture. I give the cop-out answer.

The way we do it on the Fox News Channel is the straight news anchors like us give a hard time to both sides.

I don't think in national categories. For me it [policy] is about concepts and substance.

If the Resurrection had not occurred, why would the apostle Paul give such a list of supposed eyewitnesses? He would immediately lose all credibility with his Corinthian readers by lying so blatantly.

Sometimes economists in official positions give bad advice; sometimes they give very, very bad advice; and sometimes they work at the OECD.

You can be a fanatical millennialist religious mystic, and you are, in a certain way, not outside of ideology. Your position can be that of perfectly describing the data and nonetheless your point is ideological.

Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side

No one automatically gives you respect just because you show up. You have to earn it

Facts do not give advice.

I generally don't involve myself in giving the actors some tips on acting. At the same time, I don't do that with the director.

It is also naïve empiricism to provide, in support of some argument, series of eloquent confirmatory quotes by dead authorities. By searching, you can always find someone who made a well-sounding statement that confirms your point of view and, on every topic, it is possible to find another dead thinker who said the exact opposite.

A true conservative is on the side of science.