"Change is the process by which the future invades the present."
George Will's quote suggests that change isn't an abstract concept or a distant event, but rather a continuous and active process that shapes the present as new ideas, trends, and realities from the future infiltrate our current state of being. It implies that we must be adaptable and open to change if we are to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving world.
"The correct number of political parties in a democracy is one more than that which has power at any given moment."
George Will's quote suggests that for a healthy democracy, it is beneficial to have multiple political parties. This is because when only one party holds power, there is no alternative perspective or check on their actions. By having more than one party with power, diversity of thought and competition in ideas are encouraged, fostering a more robust democratic system where different perspectives can be debated and the best solutions can emerge.
"Freedom is the recognition of necessity, from which all the springs of action and purpose arise."
George Will's quote suggests that true freedom doesn't lie in the absence of constraints, but rather in our ability to recognize and respond to life's inherent necessities. It implies that it is through acknowledging our responsibilities, obligations, or purposes (necessities) that we find motivation, direction, and the potential for growth. Essentially, freedom empowers us to act upon those necessities, which in turn gives rise to action, purpose, and ultimately, a meaningful life.
"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time."
This quote by George Will suggests that democracy relies on a fundamental assumption, namely that the collective wisdom of the majority is generally correct, with individuals having valid perspectives and opinions. In other words, the idea is that through open debate and the exercise of individual votes, society will make decisions that are beneficial to the greatest number of people. The recurring suspicion in this statement underscores the inherent skepticism in democratic systems but also demonstrates faith in their ability to correct course when necessary.
"The American political tradition...is a tradition of scepticism about authority in general and government in particular."
George Will's quote signifies that the essence of American politics lies in questioning authority, including governmental power. This skepticism is deeply rooted in the values of individual freedom and self-reliance. It implies that the people are wary of unchecked power and seek to maintain checks and balances on government actions, ensuring that they align with the will and interests of the citizens.
Look, three love affairs in history, are Abelard and Eloise, Romeo and Juliet and the American media and this President at the moment. But this doesn't matter over time. Reality will impinge. If his programs work, he's fine. If it doesn't work, all of the adulation of journalists in the world won't matter.
- George Will
If those who wrote and ratified the 14th Amendment had imagined laws restricting immigration - and had anticipated huge waves of illegal immigration - is it reasonable to presume they would have wanted to provide the reward of citizenship to the children of the violators of those laws? Surely not.
- George Will
Corporations do not pay taxes, they collect them, passing the burden to consumers as a cost of production. And corporate taxation is a feast of rent-seeking - a cornucopia of credits, exemptions and other subsidies conferred by the political class on favored, and grateful, corporations.
- George Will
Popularity makes no law invulnerable to invalidation. Americans accept judicial supervision of their democracy - judicial review of popular but possibly unconstitutional statutes - because they know that if the Constitution is truly to constitute the nation, it must trump some majority preferences.
- George Will
Government has the role of suiting people for freedom. People aren't made for freedom spontaneously. There's sort of a 19-year race between when people are born and when they become adults. And government has a role in making them, at the end of 19 years, suited to be upright, trustworthy repositories of popular sovereignty.
- George Will
Some calamities - the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, 9/11 - have come like summer lightning, as bolts from the blue. The looming crisis of America's Ponzi entitlement structure is different. Driven by the demographics of an aging population, its causes, timing and scope are known.
- George Will
I just got hooked on the radio, the voice of it all. It was my connection to metropolitan America, if you will. Sports, in particularly baseball then 'cause of its rich sediment of numbers, was one of the first things a young person could peg up with adults on - that is, you could know as much about Jimmy Fox as your father did.
- George Will
Just as the common law derives from ancient precedents - judges' decisions - rather than statutes, baseball's codes are the game's distilled mores. Their unchanged purpose is to show respect for opponents and the game. In baseball, as in the remainder of life, the most important rules are unwritten. But not unenforced.
- George Will
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