Policy & Policy Making Quotes
Reverend Dow was writing for other ministers about the problem of dealing with the numerous contradictions in the Bible. There was no winning choice. Since then, the last two lines have been quoted by politicians when they percieve they have no good choices. For example, see Eleanor Roosevelt {630145}.
The “Boxer Rebellion” was a very strong, populist, violent movement in China at the turn of the Century. The hostility was not directed against the Empress or the Government, but against the non-Chinese foreigners who were, theoretically and by treaty, under the protection of the Chinese Government. Cixi and the government had to decide to Crack Down on the Boxers, Support them, or remain passive. The movement was so strong and the government so weak, that is was not clear that the government could prevail in what would amount to a civil war. The Empress in effect vetoed the crackdown option on the grounds stated. With this quotation she made a fateful decision for China and the Foreigners and for her own legacy. She had been considered by Westerners one of the great rulers of the world of not of all time, and she was in many ways. But she made the wrong choice from the Western point of view; thousands of Westerners became casualties of the Boxer irrational xenophobic violence with the government doing little to stop it. Soon, she herself came to regret this policy decision--{641730}.
Ex-President Calvin Coolidge was giving advice to Herbert Hoover. Hoover's rejoinder was: No, but I do expect to see contented cows.
The principle holds for politics also. The largest social problems the politician faces are the greatest opportunity for him/her to create a program to solve or ameliorate the problem.
