by Jim Britell
Wise words from 50 years of managing political and environmental campaigns, and doing staff work in all kinds of settings from a Cabinet secretary’s front office to local planning boards.
10 proverbs on Politics
When someone says, “I’m not getting down to their level,” don’t expect anything at any level.
A forum in which truth is not a defense is a political proceeding.
The best guide to a president’s values are their golf partners.
Most American generals would gladly sacrifice their life for their country, just not their careers.
The first step in making change is to transform the “utterly impossible” into the “highly improbable”.
People often call things “perfect storms” to obfuscate human agency and blame.
Fascists fear most their moderate followers.
To get a progressive to abandon a sensible policy, attack it as racist or sexist.
Idealism is the craving for political processes other than the ones you have.
America is devolving from the best country in the world to the least worst.
10 proverbs on Environmentalists and Nature
Mother Nature doesn’t love you.
Benefactors fund causes; foundations fund themselves.
The only people who don’t know what’s best for small towns are the people who live there.
Wild animals make domesticated animals nervous; domesticated animals make wild animals cruel.
Making lists of birds may help people, but it doesn’t help birds.
People hate wolves because they remind us we are merely animals.
Public lands agencies only develop “stakeholders” when someone is trying to steal something.
People only write checks when they are buying something.
A wilderness is a place where you can die even if you are careful.
A tourist is a stranger who is entitled to everything and responsible for nothing.