Consequence Quotes

This extreme position illustrates how a politician, trying to defend a particular position can get carried away and lose rational sense of balance. The air we breath is free and quite valuable—essential really. The exercise of most of our political rights is without charge. Legitimate religions do not require payment.

Menander first originated the phrase. However, Julius Caesar made it famous, by stating it when he crossed the Rubicon River with his Legions and headed for Rome. He had passed the “point of no return.” It was forbidden for a Roman commander of legions to allow the legions under arms to come that close to Rome under the theory that no military commander could take over the government if his legions were at a distance from Rome. Caesar was indeed marching on Rome with his troops, and took over the government. The great phrase implied that the key action had been taken and the commitment made. The dice was thrown but no one know yet what the results would be. For Caesar, they turned out to be good. Dice was a very good metaphor for the era as Greek and Roman men played (and gambled) on dice games frequently. John Adams used a variant of the quotation in castigating President Taylor. See {622034}

See {631935} for a similar statement 50 years later.

This leading “conductor” of the Underground Railroad carried a loaded pistol which she brandished if escaping slaves would get discouraged and not follow instructions endangering the others or the organization itself. The Underground Railroad referred to the clandestine method that Tubman and other “conductors” would risk their own lives by going down South and guiding escaped slaves through a series of safe houses and locations “stations” until they reached Canada where slaves could not be legally recaptured.

John F. Kennedy paraphrased Ciano after the Bay of Pigs disaster.