George F. Will Quotes
The only law Washington can be counted on to respect: It is the law of dispersed costs but concentrated benefits
The bills that Congress tends to pass provide benefits for very few but spread the costs over many of not the whole population. In the majority of concentrated benefits, the beneficiaries have made large campaign donations and/or have retained powerful lobbyists. They are special interests in the truest sense of the word. See {633225} for a good example of this principle.
George Will, Political Columnist, Senate Staff Assistant “How Sweet It Isn’t”, The Washington Post, June 9, 2013
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Between the politicians and the financial industry lobbyists the laws are written so that there is sufficient room for enough self dealing so that members of Congress can get rich using methods that are questionable but have been legislated as legal and the Congressional rules have been written so that they are “not unethical”. Many members of Congress leave the institution much wealthier than when they entered but have received salaries that are insufficient to build that kind of wealth. Many then accept lobbying or other jobs at very high pay representing the people and corporations who have been the subjects of their legislative efforts. Other members do not avail themselves of the “legal” self dealing as the practice is not universal.
Harry S Truman
She was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress and was the first Black woman to actively campaign for the Presidency
This criticism of business has been made ever since by many opposed to protectionism, corporate welfare, subsidies, and bailouts. Yet they get bigger each decade.
While New York City and a few other jurisdictions—states and local—have more stringent laws and ethical standards for politicians than does Congress and Federal Officials, but most have lower standards. In some of the jurisdictions judges can try cases and rule in favor of a company or wealthy individual who gave the judge the money to campaign with and get elected.
While this is a common complaint in the American political dialogue at the beginning of the 21st century, it is interesting that this was the conclusion of a foreign political scholar studying that period—one who was generally a great admirer of America.
There were many national politicians who would publicly castigate homosexuals and yet were themselves gay and in effect were living two lives. For them “coming out of the closet” had a temporary meaning restricted to time and place and then they would go back “in the closet” for their public personae.
- Born: May 4, 1941
- Nationality: English
- Profession: Columnist, Journalist, Author
George Frederick Will is an American libertarian-conservative political commentator and author. He writes regular columns for The Washington Post and provides commentary for NBC News and MSNBC. In 1986, The Wall Street Journal called him "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America," in a league with Walter Lippmann (1889–1974). He won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977.
