Milton Friedman Quotes

Do not expect Plato's ideal republic; be satisfied with even the smallest step forward, and consider this no small achievement.

It's a necessary quality of a diplomat or a politician that he will compromise. Uncompromising politicians or diplomats get you into the most terrible trouble.

I will deal with the politicians in a political way and with the nonpoliticians in a nonpolitical way.

To an intellectual who is adrift in politics, a theory is an aim; to a true politician his theory is a boundary.

I am an expert in the 'art of the possible.'

Politics is the art of the possible.

If you can’t learn to compromise an issue without compromising yourself then you better not be a legislator and you better not marry.

I learned a long time ago in politics, never say never.

There is never just one way in politics.

I'm well aware of the pragmatism of politics.

You might want a certain type of Brexit deal, but you can't get it if the numbers aren't there.

You can be ideological; you can be passionate about your issues - I'm all for that. And there are some issues I refuse to give in on. But for the state to function, for government to function, there has to be some level of deal-making.

To be honest, politics is so weird. I think it's more heavy than religion.

Compromise is not popular. It's not at all popular among young people who these days call themselves "activists." They think compromises are dishonest, opportunistic, humiliating. Not in my vocabulary.

There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.

Today, Democrats not only have the White House; they have the Senate too. So we have to be realistic about what we can and cannot achieve, while at the same recognizing that realism should never be confused with capitulation.

You can cooperate and not compromise your core values. But I'm a realist with the philosophy that sometimes you've got to take bites out of the apple instead of the whole apple.

In an ideological age, diplomacy may seem weak and prosaic. But sometimes it is all we have.

Idealism loses to pragmatism when it comes to winning elections.

I'm just not a purist. You set goals and you have to work with everyone to figure out how to get what you can.

I haven't given up on working... across the aisle on issues and maybe it'll take an election or two for that to fully ferment, maybe it you know sometimes it takes awhile for people to realize what the best path is.

To rely upon conviction, devotion, and other excellent spiritual qualities; that is not to be taken seriously in politics.

Therefore it does not help to sneer at the imperfection of today's reality or to preach absolutes as a daily agenda.

The acceptance of certain realities doesn't preclude idealism. It can lead to certain breakthroughs.

I'm not sure if President Obama is an ideologue or a pragmatist. I am hoping and praying he's a pragmatist.