XuanZong DaoGuang Quotes
You have caused this war by your excessive zeal. You have lied to us, disguising in your dispatches the true color of affairs. Instead of helping us, you have only caused confusion to arise. Now, one thousand unending problems are sprouting. You have behaved as if your arms are tied. You are no better than a wooden dummy. As we think about your grievous failings, we become furious, and then melancholy
Lin Zexu was actually trying to do something to stop the opium trade. See {621321} . But the English merchants did not want to cease their lucrative trade and used the Navy to humiliate the Chinese.
XuanZong DaoGuang, Qing Emperor of China, Letter to his governor Lin Zexu, August 21, 1840
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The “foreign tribes” were the English and other European traders who were bringing opium to China. Lin had assembled a fleet of 80 ships at the mouth of the Pearl River to persuade the European powers that they would fight if the foreign ships would not cease trading in opium. The British in particular were not intimidated, and they militarily forced the Chinese to accept their “right” to sell opium. The Emperor sent Lin to the “boondocks”—see {621320} for misjudging and provoking British military action, but Lin is remembered for his sound moral and public health perspective. A bronze statue of Lin Zexu was erected in his honor in Chatham Square (Kimlau Square) of New York City's Chinatown and many other places in the world.
Ex HEW Secretary John Gardner, the founder of the citizens' lobby, Common Cause, was testifying before Hays' committee: Gardner, considered an excellent Secretary by most, was a reformer who was making some suggestions not to Hays’ liking. This quote was Hays’ reposponse to Gardner. Hays was not only a bully but his lack of tact caused the State Departmemt much trouble. See {622348}.
Hillary Rodham (not yet married to Bill Clinton, at the time a student at Yale Law School) shouted this at Joe Califano as he walked down the aisle of the Senate Caucus Room, representing Paul Austin, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola in a hearing on migrant labor problems on July 24, 1970. Coca-Cola had acquired Minute Maid in 1960, and as a result became involved in the issue because of their exploitation of migrant workers in Florida. Mondale, chairman of the Subcommittee on Migratory Labor of the Senate Subcommittee on Labor and Public Welfare, was conducting the hearing. He ended up praising Austin in the hearing as Austin agreed to support amending the National Labor Relations act to cover migrant workers and permit them to organize.
Characterizing President Ronald Reagan in the midst of the Iran-Contra scandal:
In a speech at Temple University, the Canadian Prime Minister called for a halt in of the bombing in Vietnam. The President was angered.
Hooker made some very poor decisions as far as Lincoln was concerned.
MacArthur had been the Commander of our Military Forces in Korea. He had a huge ego, and he wanted to cross the border and attack China since Chinese Troops were aiding the North Vietnamese. He had previously assured the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President that the Chinese would not send troops into Korea, but he was then wrong. And when they had attacked, they had erased the territorial gains that MacArthur had previously gained. The Joint Chief’s of Staff, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State had decided upon a strategy which this time did not follow MacArthur’s strategic advice. The President approved the strategy, but MacArthur spoke and acted contrary. The President met with MacArthur and reiterated the strategy that the President approved. But MacArthur did not follow the orders of the Joint Chiefs. At the time, he and Eisenhower were America’s two most famous military leaders, and of the two MacArthur was senior and thought that he should be President. After he was fired, MacArthur addressed a Joint Session of Congress and gave his "Old Soldiers Never Die" speech which was his first active step towards the Presidency. It was a very sentimental speech with little content and nothing about why he had disobeyed orders. He was totally shocked when it was Eisenhower who was selected to run for President and not him.
The Irish landlords were a craven and greedy lot. See {639225}.
During the 1956 Suez crisis, President Eisenhower, distressed at the British invasion of Egypt, phoned British Prime Minister Anthony Eden. Although he didn't realize it, Eisenhower was actually addressing Eden's press secretary:
