The public think the politicians don't know or care about their lives; and the politicians feel misunderstood.
I may find Saddam Hussein's regime abhorrent - any normal person would - but the survival of it is in his hands.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker acknowledges the abhorrence of a regime while recognizing that its fate ultimately lies with its leader.
In this quote, Tony Blair expresses a complex perspective on leadership and the political landscape, emphasizing that while he personally finds Saddam Hussein's regime unacceptable, the continuation or fall of such a regime is determined by Hussein himself. This highlights the notion that political authority and responsibility rest firmly with those in power, despite external perceptions of their governance.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on political responsibility, one could reference Tony Blair's quote to highlight the role of leaders in maintaining their regimes.
More from Tony Blair
All quotes βThere is no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: Defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must.
Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education and education.
However much I dislike the idea of abortion, you should not criminalize a woman who, in very difficult circumstances, makes that choice.
I want my son to grow up in a place where the people are more powerful than the government and not the other way around.
The blunt truth about the politics of climate change is that no country will want to sacrifice its economy in order to meet this challenge.
Similar quotes
America must be the teacher of democracy, not the advertiser of the consumer society. It is unrealistic for the rest of the world to reach the American living standard.
Long Island is shaped the way it is largely because of Robert Moses. Long Island is a perfect example of how political power shapes people's lives every day.
The question is the morning after. What sort of Iraq do we wake up to after the bombing? What happens in the region? What impact could it have? These are questions leaders I have spoken to have posed.
Whenever a fellow tells me he's bipartisan, I know he's going to vote against me.
The problem with party politics is that people get involved every two or four years and that is it. In the meantime, the legislature and Minnesota politics are on a separate track.
I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have in it now. I believe it has a glorious future before it - not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization.