Pope John Paul II Quotes

Beware of all men who would turn the tasks and the necessities of the nation to their own private profit or use them for the building up of private power.

Whenever there is money, power, and titles involved, players are going to be corrupt. That might be a political statement, but that's what it is for the athletes, too.

Moral crusade: Public activity undertaken by middle-aged men who are cheating on their wives or diddling little boys. Moral crusades are particularly popular among those seeking power for their own personal pleasure, politicians who can't think of anything useful to do with their mandates, and religious professionals suffering from a personal inability to communicate with their god.

Mankind soon learn to make interested uses of every right and power which they possess, or may assume.

… the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their own selfish purposes.

Small men, seeking great wealth or power, have too often and too long turned even the highest levels of public service into mere personal opportunity.

Power is always a corrupting influence.

Corporate bodies are more corrupt and profligate than individuals, because they have more power to do mischief, and are less amenable to disgrace or punishment. They feel neither shame, remorse, gratitude, nor goodwill.

Occupants of public offices love power and are prone to abuse it.

A political organization is a transferable commodity. You could not find a better way of killing virtue than by packing it into one of these contraptions which some gang of thieves is sure to find useful.

It is to be regretted that the rich and powerful too often bend the acts of government to their selfish purposes.

Officials are under a constant temptation to misuse their power for the private profit of themselves or others.

Politics is so corrupt that even the dishonest people get fucked.

Everybody's always going to have some self-interest. When it passes a certain point, that's when it become corruption.

self-interest usually brings injustice with it.

As Members of Congress, we should not be using public office for private gain.

Some people are in positions of power, and when incentives go haywire, we are all human and it's easy to make mistakes. I am not saying everybody is Bernie Madoff.

Any time there is a lot of money or ego involved, people tend to behave badly.

Men of authority have employed all the destructive agents around them to promote their own personal interests at the sacrifice of every just, honorable, and lawful consideration.

Unlimited power corrupts the possessor.

I have always been fascinated by the corruption of power.

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

Corruption never has been compulsory.

Have I given any symptoms of an avaricious disposition? Have I obtained any grants from the crown since I have been placed at the head of the treasury? Has my conduct been different from that which others in the same station would have followed?

All those men have their price.