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      Top 10: Timeless Political Quotes

      Page 3 of 3

      <!— 8: Article Text —> Credit: WhiteHouse.gov

      Number 3

      "Let them eat cake."

       - Marie Antoinette

      This Austrian woman who married King Louis XVI was reportedly an airhead. Brought up in wealth and sheltered from the social reality, she had no notion of France's economic situation. When someone mentioned that her people did not even have bread to eat, which contrasted with the royal decadence, she apparently replied, "Let them eat cake." "Do I have to think of everything?", she probably added.

      However, some historians actually believe that Marie Antoinette never really said this, and that it was attributed to her by opponents trying to mount a revolt (it is also believed that French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau first wrote this phrase in his Confessions ). At any rate, the Queen was despised by her people for her aloofness and was beheaded during the French Revolution.

      Number 2


       - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

      FDR was president from 1933 to 1945, the only president to be elected four times. He had the misfortune of arriving at the White House during the Great Depression and that's what defined his character. America was far from being cheerful at the time but by speaking these words during his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933, he was giving hope back to the people.

      He meant that by remaining afraid of the future, they wouldn't be able to achieve greatness. Luckily, the speech worked to give confidence and boost morale, and the country climbed out of its misery as it entered World War II.

      Number 1


       - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

      This is the 35th American President's most famous quote and certainly the most famous political quote in history. Spoken during his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, the words were a call to Americans to get involved with the inner workings of their country, to accept the responsibility of world leaders and to live up to it.

      What followed was a decade of change in America, a time when citizens demanded civil rights, a time for demonstrations, a time of outcry for democracy. JFK had the ability to unite people and bring out the best in them, and this single patriotic quote was what inspired America to fight for a free world.

      honorable mention


       - Napoleon Bonaparte

      A cunning man, Napoleon rose to power after recognizing that the French Revolution had merely left political chaos in its wake. Leading his country in numerous military campaigns to give pride back to its people, he understood that the enemy must be treated with the same respect with which allies are treated.

      He realized that enemies are often equal in terms of intelligence and to use a tactic on them is to deny oneself the right to use it again in the future. In politics like in battle, surprise is the key to victory. Alas, Napoleon did not follow his own advice and was finally defeated at Waterloo after 23 years of war with the English and their Allies.

      a lesson in history

      No matter their political leanings, these men have marked their place and their time. Fascists like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini may have had opinions diverging from the norm, but their words will live on.
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