Confucius wrote:
The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.
Confucius
Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)
The Quotations Page
2500 years ago, Confucius understood this singular fact of leadership. It does not matter if you are at peace or war, a leader must always be on guard. The people may be at peace, the people may be ignorant of world affairs, but as Hillary Clinton said in last nights debate, this is the prime job of President.
To Protect and Defend.
Hillary Clinton January 15, 2008
So I do feel that the next president has to be prepared because we are up against a relentless enemy. And they will take advantage of us. They will certainly, as they have over the last several years, continue their attacks against our friends and allies around the world.
You know, we haven't talked as much about homeland security as I think is necessary in this campaign. Maybe I feel it acutely because I do represent New York.
But the highest and greatest duty of the president of the United States is to protect and defend our country. And at the end of the day, voters have to make that decision, among all of us, Democrats and Republicans, who are vying for the votes. Because it is a critical question. It always is. There are, you know, reasons going back in our history why that is so.
But in this time, in this period, where we're going to have to repair a lot of the frayed relationships coming out of the Bush administration, where we're going to have to summon the world to a concerted effort to quell the threat of terrorism, to root them out wherever they are, it's going to be one of the biggest jobs facing our next president.
And I feel prepared and ready to take on what is a daunting but necessary responsibility.
Hillary Clinton is ready to Protect and Defend the U.S.A.
Yes, the literal oath is To Protect and Defend the Constitution. But, Our Constitution is us, Our Constitution is Our Country. Without the Constitution we are no longer the U.S.A.
Thomas Huxley on work
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly.
Thomas H. Huxley
English biologist (1825 - 1895)
The Quotations Page
Hillary Clinton learned the lesson of hard work early and has been working hard her entire life.
But I think that, you know, there is a difference here. ...I do think that being president is the chief executive officer, and I respect what Barack said about setting the vision, setting the tone, bringing people together. But I think you have to be able to manage and run the bureaucracy....
You've got to pick good people certainly but you have to hold them accountable every single day.
We've seen the results of a president who frankly failed at that. ...he went in to office saying he was going to have the kind of Harvard Business School CEO model, where he'd set the tone, he'd set the goals, and then everybody else would have to implement it. And we saw the failures. We saw the failures along the Gulf Coast with people... who were totally incompetent and insensitive, failing to help our fellow Americans.
Another quote I just wanted to drop in here because it's my diary.
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.
Timothy Leary
US psychologist & promoter of mind-altering drugs (1920 - 1996)
The Quotations Page
Hillary Clinton is an ambitious woman. And that is a good thing.