Robert McNamara Quotes

Political civility is not about being polite to each other. It's about reclaiming the power of 'We the People' to come together, debate the common good and call American democracy back to its highest values amid our differences.

Elections should highlight principled disagreements, but they must not obscure our capacity to cooperate for the common good.

Our history is that we can very aggressively, if necessary, and openly and democratically discuss our differences. We have a democratic history in which we come together and vote on these things.

Politics are beautiful. They enable a community to live collectively with one another. It's not about stabbing each other in the back; it's about enabling people to reach their dreams and pursue happiness.

While there continues to be differences, the important point is that all citizens and elected officials use democratic and legal avenues for solving those differences.

The government is just the people acting together.

Our common goal is to keep Hong Kong from chaos, severe polarisation, and violence.

The truth is that searching for our commonality instead of our differences could transform our dysfunctional politics.

The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.

You should understand that private faith does not force public decisions. That's how you work at compromise. I haven't given up what I believe, but I live in community - in a city, state, nation, and world - with people who don't believe what I believe. That doesn't make them defective or inferior.

Politics is good; when it works properly, disagreements get solved without people beating each other up. But when a regime knows its days are numbered, there's always the chance it may use its position to change the rules and make the debate it is losing irrelevant.

So we should all, me included, stop fighting each other and arguing about our differences on certain policies.

The theory of rights enables us to rise and overthrow obstacles, but not to found a strong and lasting accord between all the elements which compose the nation.

Were there no contrariety of interests, nothing would be more simple and easy than to form and preserve free institutions. The right of suffrage alone would be a sufficient guarantee. It is the conflict of opposing interests which renders it the most difficult work of man.

We tend to think of politics as bad, full of dirty tricks, negative ads, big campaigns, but I am here to explore the original meaning of politics, which is positive and has to do with balancing competing interests and looking for solutions.

There were days when I hated politics. But I fought against hating the people on the other side because we were all in the same business - the business of building our country's future.

There are two things which a democratic people will always find very difficult - to begin a war and to end it.

What is important is the victory of the people, not of a candidate. We must unite for the good of Madagascar's people, and we are going to succeed.

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.

Change comes with both fear and some pain. Those two ingredients create mistrust, misunderstanding and misinformation. Such is the process of democracy.

The Iraqi elections were an important first step.

In a politically diverse nation, only by finding that common ground can we achieve results for the common good.

The Latin root of the word 'politics' means 'of the people.' Politics is about something bigger than electoral politics; in that sense, I feel like I'm already involved.

People of the south have too much of good sense, and good temper, to attempt the ruin of the government.

The most important thing a politician can do is try to keep the country glued together.