There is a power in public opinion in this country - and I thank God for it: for it is the most honest and best of all powers - which will not tolerate an incompetent or unworthy man to hold in his weak or wicked hands the lives and fortunes of his fellow-citizens.
quote by Martin Van Buren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.
Thomas Jefferson in letter to John Melish (13 January 1813)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
So Hard To Find
There are a few honest politicians so honest and faithful and kind
But they are such a small minority honest politicians are so hard to find
They would do almost anything for to hold on to power as power in their lives is their central theme
They put power in their lives before principle or at least that is how it does seem,
There are a few honest politicians though their type are becoming quite rare
And shady deals are concocted in high places in the bigger World out there
So much corruption in high places where success can come through deceit
Far decenter than them poor and homeless and living it rough on the street
To most politicians to lie is so easy and one lie leads to another they say
And they are referred to as 'the honorable' yet they tell more lies every day
They are tainted by their lust for power to power they so desperately cling
Yet many see them as quite special and many their praises do sing
And many out there are so gullible and to the faults of the power wielders quite blind
And 'tis sad that honest politicians are becoming much harder to find.
poem by Francis Duggan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
And so, my fellow americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
John F. Kennedy in Inaugural address (20 January 1961)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Publicity is a great purifier because it sets in action the forces of public opinion, and in this country public opinion controls the courses of the nation.
quote by Charles Evans Hughes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Whatever is right can be achieved through the irresistible power of awakened and informed public opinion. Our object, therefore, is not to enquire whether a thing can be done, but whether it ought to be done, to so exert the forces of publicity that public opinion will compel it be done.
quote by William Randolph Hearst
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!
The Power In My Hand
Let the bold get bolder
The weak, weaker
The poor, poorer
And the world bigger
But the powerful shall exceed the earth
And the powerful shall stretch his hands wide
Across the face of the earth
Then the powerful shall be more powerful
The power in my hand, I limit
The power to rebuild the earth
The power to speak to other powers
The power to fall in love
The power to seal volcanoes
To trouble storms
To do the undone
And undo the done
The power to gather knowledge
And solve world mysteries
To reach to the needy
And build better lives
But all these I have neglected
And all the miracles die with me
Can I sit any longer?
And more perish still?
For my sake
But that power could leave me
For someone else
For the misuse of such gifts
Immortality is not an issue
One must die
But shall I die unaccomplished?
With the seed of power
In my hands
Who shall attend my burial?
Apart from the unaccomplished
But my chance to use my power has come
Most people blame Eve
Others Adam
For misused power
Had they not heard they are misusing theirs?
Are they not ashamed?
For nature is fair
And ones chance is too
There is lots of power in my hands to harness
But there isn't lots of time to utilize
So how can I sit with you and watch…
…the power in my hands waste away
poem by Ivan Chizurum Ezeigbo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The American people should be made aware of the trend toward monopolization of the great public information vehicles and the concentration of more and more power over public opinion in fewer and fewer hands.
quote by Spiro T. Agnew
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Honest Men
Were just a stones throw
From burning hellfire
Does anybody know,
Where did all the heroes go?
Weve had our fill of
This gallery of scoundrels,
The leaders of the world,
Those power hungry liars
Rise up and sound the sirens,
Send out the searching powers,
All we need is a few good men
Send the s.o.s. and red alerts
All across the universe
Calling your honest men?
S.o.s. emergency,
Sinking fast and getting worse.
Wheres your honest men?
In some village, far away,
Or in a little town pub.
High on a mountain top
There must be an honest man
Calling all honest men
Throw out the tyrants,
The aged fat cats
Outlived their usefulness
They have led us to this mess
Make them answer,
Hold them to their promises,
And throw them in the street
If they wont tell the truth
S.o.s. and red alert
All across the universe,
Calling all honest men
S.o.s. emergency,
Sinking fast and getting worse,
Wheres your honest men?
To your stations,
Man the ramparts,
The barricades
We need new heroes urgently
We need a few good honest men
Calling all honest men
Calling all honest men
Call to him
He lives next door,
Across the street
On the upper floor.
Its our only hope we need him now
Send the s.o.s. and red alert,
All across the universe,
Calling all honest men
S.o.s. emergency,
Sinking fast and getting worse,
Wheres your honest men
Strike a blow,
Save the ship,
We need a few good honest men
Calling all honest men
Calling all honest men
Calling all honest men
S.o.s. across the universe
Wheres your honest
We need your honest
Calling all honest men
Calling out all over the world,
Wheres your honest men
Looking out all over the world,
We need your honest men
song performed by by Electric Light Orchestra
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Do You Have Power?
The word power is ambiguous and mystifying
Power is interrelated and measurable
The word power is vague and ambivalent
Everybody is believed to have some form of power
Nations and societies are said to have their own powers
The use of power depends on circumstances
Power can be used positively or negatively
The president as the commander-in-chief
Has power to declare war and federal emergency
The congress has power to enact laws
The bank has power to grant or deny you a
Loan to improve your status in life
The editor has power to decide what gets
Published in a book, dailies, or journals
Armed forces have power to defend the nation
Police have power to arrest and detain crooks
Medical doctors have power to heal the sick
Many of us have power to make a beggar smile
Voters have power to elect their representatives
For both the lower house and the senate
Employers have power to enrich and enhance
The lives and positions of their employees
Teachers have power to educate our mind
Husbands have power to please their wives
And keep their children happy and contented
As power cannot be used or exercised in isolation
We should realize that we are all citizens of this world
We owe it to our children to use our powers positively
To help make this world a better and friendly place
So that we can create a just and compassionate society
poem by Julius Babarinsa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Could I Be Incompetent?
Could I be incompetent?
No.
But I will admit,
I can be stupid, ignorant and foolish...
When making incorrect decisions.
With a hopeful learning from them,
If I take the time to comprehend what I've done.
But incompetent?
No.
No, I am not.
And I am sure if I had been,
Someone who's opinion I accept...
And has shown to me their admiration,
Would have already brought that to my attention.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.
quote by Joseph Story
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow-citizens, the people are confirmed by the next article in their right to keep and bear their private arms.
quote by Tench Coxe
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
No Matter Who or What Has to Be Sacrificed
Even though our actions have been absolutely wrong...
We stubbornly stand by them.
And will make them cost effective.
No matter who or what has to be sacrificed,
We must always show and express victory.
With an arrogance that leaves all mentally poisoned,
And grateful for the freedom given...
To crawl on hands and knees,
Weeping for the rest of their lives!
'Sir...
I know you have become frustrated,
With your popularity dwindling at the polls.
However,
Are you 'sure' this is the speech...
That will turn public opinion around? '
Well...
Maybe you are right!
Afterall,
I did give everyone the opportunity,
To get accustomed to me being their leader.
You're right...
It is a bit weak.
And I am going into my second year.
Change that last line in the speech to read,
'Weeping for the rest of their entire lives.'
I want to show them at least I have 'some' compassion,
Left.
And...
I am not 'that' determined to have things my way!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
If you think aficionados of a living Constitution want to bring you flexibility, think again. You think the death penalty is a good idea? Persuade your fellow citizens to adopt it. You want a right to abortion? Persuade your fellow citizens and enact it. That's flexibility.
quote by Antonin Scalia
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
John Cabanis
Neither spite, fellow citizens,
Nor forgetfulness of the shiftlessness,
And the lawlessness and waste
Under democracy's rule in Spoon River
Made me desert the party of law and order
And lead the liberal party.
Fellow citizens! I saw as one with second sight
That every man of the millions of men
Who give themselves to Freedom,
And fail while Freedom fails,
Enduring waste and lawlessness,
And the rule of the weak and the blind,
Dies in the hope of building earth,
Like the coral insect, for the temple
To stand on at the last.
And I swear that Freedom will wage to the end
The war for making every soul
Wise and strong and as fit to rule
As Plato's lofty guardians
In a world republic girdled!
poem by Edgar Lee Masters
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Politics in Bangladesh
Whoever comes to power
Becomes somewhat dictator
They don't care about people's demand
It's a hard fact in my dear motherland
Most of them make black money
And deposit in foreign banks
But they pretend they are good people
And the greatest think tanks
They disgrace the political rivals
Even if they are blameless
No matter what; they want to remain in power
They are so shameless
When a new political party comes to power
They abandon projects of the previous governments
They change the nameplates of public institutions
They give promotions to their obedient civil servants
They dishonor national heroes
To become heroes themselves
They do more harm than good to the country
They are like some wicked elves
They go for pilgrimage with friends and family
All their costs are met by the poor helpless country
They travel far and wide to walk on red carpet
And see new places
The country is not benefitted from it
In most of the cases
They talk tall like they are doing everything they can
While most of them are nothing but shadows of Satan
poem by Asif Andalib
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I call God to witness that as a private person I have done nothing unbeseeming an honest man, nor, as I bear the place of a public man, have I done anything unworthy of my place.
quote by Francis Walsingham
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I think there are many times when it would be most efficient to use nuclear weapons. However, the public opinion in this country and throughout the world throw up their hands in horror when you mention nuclear weapons, just because of the propaganda that's been fed to them.
quote by Curtis Lemay
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Public opinion in this country is everything.
quote by Abraham Lincoln
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
A Tolerant Society
A tolerant society we've heard it all before
That fellow he is different he is from a distant shore
He never will be my friend so him i will ignore
I will only tolerate him just that and nothing more.
A tolerant society those words often used of late
By the leaders of the Government in a so called egalatarian State
Yet his birthday or successes we will never celebrate
We will only tolerate him he will never be our mate.
A tolerant society words best used to describe
That we will put up with others but we'll stick by our own tribe
Them we shall not acknowledge or to them say hello
And about them and their culture we do not wish to know.
In a tolerant society we only tolerate
And closer ties or friendships with them we do not wish to cultivate
He is from a different culture and our differences are great
And we only tolerate him he will never be our mate.
poem by Francis Duggan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!