Politics

Best quotes from Barack Obama

Published

2 weeks ago

29th November 2018

Victor Mochere

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
“I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage. But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about. Usually, our constitutions expand liberties, they don’t contract them.”
“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
“We need to steer clear of this poverty of ambition, where people want to drive fancy cars and wear nice clothes and live in nice apartments but don’t want to work hard to accomplish these things. Everyone should try to realize their full potential.”
“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.”
“The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”
“Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did. I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. We have. We’ve blunted the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014, our longest war will be over. A new tower rises above the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama bin Laden is dead.”
“It was the labor movement that helped secure so much of what we take for granted today. The 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, family leave, health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, retirement plans. The cornerstones of the middle-class security all bear the union label.”
“There is probably a perverse pride in my administration…that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who’s occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can’t be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion.”
“I began feeling the way I imagine an actor or athlete must feel when, after years of commitment to a particular dream…he realizes that he’s gone just about as far as talent or fortune will take him. The dream will not happen, and he now faces the choice of accepting this fact like a grownup and moving on to more sensible pursuits, or refusing the truth and ending up bitter, quarrelsome, and slightly pathetic.”
“I think what you’re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they’ve got to be treated like every other American. And I think that principle will win out.”
“If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost.”
“When we don’t pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders, when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of the day, when we choose not to make our voices and opinions heard, that’s when democracy breaks down. That’s when power is abused. That’s when the most extreme voices in our society fill the void that we leave. That’s when powerful interests and their lobbyists are most able to buy access and influence in the corridors of power – because none of us are there to speak up and stop them.”
“Participation in public life doesn’t mean that you all have to run for public office – though we could certainly use some fresh faces in Washington. But it does mean that you should pay attention and contribute in any way that you can. Stay informed. Write letters, or make phone calls on behalf of an issue you care about. If electoral politics isn’t your thing, continue the tradition so many of you started here at Michigan and find a way to serve your community and your country – an act that will help you stay connected to your fellow citizens and improve the lives of those around you.”
“Today we are engaged in a deadly global struggle for those who would intimidate, torture, and murder people for exercising the most basic freedoms. If we are to win this struggle and spread those freedoms, we must keep our own moral compass pointed in a true direction.”
“In a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power – including strong and principled diplomacy.”
“On every front, there are clear answers out there that can make this country stronger, but we’re going to break through the fear and the frustration people are feeling. Our job is to make sure that even as we make progress, that we are also giving people a sense of hope and vision for the future.”
“With patient and firm determination, I am going to press on for jobs. I’m going to press on for equality. I’m going to press on for the sake of our children. I’m going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I am going to press on.”
“We didn’t become the most prosperous country in the world just by rewarding greed and recklessness. We didn’t come this far by letting the special interests run wild. We didn’t do it just by gambling and chasing paper profits on Wall Street. We built this country by making things, by producing goods we could sell.”
“In December, I agreed to extend the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans because it was the only way I could prevent a tax hike on middle-class Americans. But we cannot afford $1 trillion worth of tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire in our society. We can’t afford it. And I refuse to renew them again.”
“The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact.”
“The thing about hip-hop today is it’s smart, it’s insightful. The way they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable.”
“Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes,’ he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. ‘Shake it off. Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’. We are going to press on. We have work to do.”
“Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.”
“We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible.”
“My identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didn’t, couldn’t end there. At least that’s what I would choose to believe.”
“When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk.”
“I’m the president of the United States. I’m not the emperor of the United States.”
“Change is never easy, but always possible.”
“The cynics may be the loudest voices – but I promise you, they will accomplish the least.”
“You can’t let your failures define you. You have to let your failures teach you.”
“Nothing in life that’s worth anything is easy.”
“We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it.”
“In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?”
“If you run you stand a chance of losing, but if you don’t run you’ve already lost.”
“The value of social movements and activism is to get you at the table, get you in the room, and then to start trying to figure out how is this problem going to be solved.”
“I think when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody.”
“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. And it will leave you unfulfilled.”
“Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.”
“If you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like or who you love.”
“Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don’t settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world.”
“We are the change we have been waiting for.”
“We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer – our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation.”
“Michelle’s like Beyoncé in that song. ‘Let me upgrade ya!’ She upgraded me.”
“We don’t turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up.”
“What Washington needs is adult supervision.”
“Where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.”
“You can put lipstick on a pig. It’s still a pig.”
“When times get tough, we don’t give up. We get up.”
“We may not be able to stop evil in the world, but how we treat one another is entirely up to us.”

Politics

Best quotes from Michelle Obama

Published

2 weeks ago

30th November 2018

Victor Mochere

“At the end of the day, when it comes time to make that decision, as president, all you have to guide you are your values, and your vision, and the life experiences that make you who you are.”
“Changing the big picture takes time.. and the best things to do is focus on the things that we can make in our lives if we’re doing all that. That becomes the collage of real change.”
“I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.”
“I think that people are tired. They’re tired of the same old kind of politics. People want a new tone to politics.”
“I’ve seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are. It reveals who you are.”
“Success is only meaningful and enjoyable if it feels like your own.”
“Together, we can help make sure that every family that walks into a restaurant can make an easy, healthy choice.”
“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”
“When they go low, we go high.”
“You see, our glorious diversity – our diversity of faiths, and colors and creeds―that is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are.”
“Barack and I were both raised by families who didn’t have much in the way of money or material possessions but who had given us something far more valuable – their unconditional love, their unflinching sacrifice, and the chance to go places they had never imagined for themselves.”
“Choose people who lift you up.”
“I am so tired of fear. And I don’t want my girls to live in a country, in a world, based on fear.”
“If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn’t be here. I guarantee you that.”
“My father’s life is a testament to that basic American promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard you can build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids.”
“Success isn’t about how much money you make. It’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
“We have this window of opportunity; we have a chance to make something real happen. Something possible happen, to live beyond our fear — think about that, and help us. Help lift us up, help us fight this fight to change — transform — this country in a fundamental way…. This chance won’t come around again.”
“We need to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation. We have lost our way. And it begins with inspiration. It begins with leadership.”
“Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude.”
“Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values, like you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond; that you do what you say you’re going to do. That you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them and even if you don’t agree with them.”
“Do not bring people in your life who weigh you down, and trust your instincts. Good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don’t hurt. They’re not painful. That’s not just with somebody you want to marry, but it’s with the friends you choose. It’s with the people you surround yourself with.”
“I come here tonight as a sister, blessed with a brother who is my mentor, my protector and my lifelong friend. And I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president.”
“If your family doesn’t have much money, I want you to remember that in this country, plenty of folks, including me and my husband. We started out with very little. But with a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible – even becoming President. That’s what the American Dream is all about.”
“My most important title is still “mom-in-chief.” My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.”
“The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.”
“We learned about dignity and decency – that how hard you work matters more than how much you make… that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.”
“We should always have three friends in our lives. One who walks ahead who we look up to and follow; one who walks beside us, who is with us every step of our journey; and then, one who we reach back for and bring along after we’ve cleared the way.”
“Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we’re scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don’t have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.”
“Being president doesn’t change who you are – it reveals who you are.”
“Find people who will make you better.”
“Real change comes from having enough comfort to be really honest and say something very uncomfortable.”
“It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the limitations that others may place on us.”
“One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.”
“The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more.”
“We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.”
“When I get up and work out, I’m working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I want them to see a mother who loves them dearly, who invests in them, but who also invests in herself. It’s just as much about letting them know as young women that it is okay to put yourself a little higher on your priority list.”
“You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.”
“Being your First Lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope I’ve made you proud.”
“How hard you work matters more than how much you make.”
“I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as “us” and “them” – he doesn’t care whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or none of the above…he knows that we all love our country…and he’s always ready to listen to good ideas…he’s always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.”
“It’s easier to hold onto your own stereotypes and misconceptions, it makes you feel justified in your own ignorance. That’s America. So the challenge for us is, are we ready for change?”
“Success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.”
“There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.”
“We learned about gratitude and humility – that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean… and we were taught to value everyone’s contribution and treat everyone with respect.”
“When I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don’t invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.”
“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.”

Politics

Best quotes from Kim Jong-Un

Published

4 weeks ago

15th November 2018

Victor Mochere

“When young people are powerful, our Party and People’s Army are powerful, and there is nothing for us to be afraid of.”
“Patriotism is not an abstract concept. It begins with one’s own home. It buds out from the love for one’s parents, spouses and children, the love for one’s own home, village and workplace, and further develops into the love for one’s country and fellow people.”
“The days are gone forever when our enemies could blackmail us with nuclear bombs.”
“Our young people are patriots and heroes of whom we can be proud of before the world; that they have a large contingent of such trustworthy young people is a great blessing for the Workers’ Party of Korea. And a source of pride for Korea, and this assures the great strength of our dignified state and its bright future.”
“When young people are powerful, our Party and People’s Army are powerful, and there is nothing for us to be afraid of.”
“Nothing will be beyond our reach when we make the flames of creating positive deeds flare up across the country with the virtues of the young vanguard as the initial spark and bring into full play the mounting vigor of the millions of young people.”

Politics

The youngest current serving state leaders in the world 2018

Published

1 month ago

5th November 2018

Victor Mochere

The youngest current serving state leaders in the world

Sebastian Kurz, the Chancellor of Austria, is the youngest current serving state leader in the world aged 32 years.

Below are some of the oldest people currently serving as head of state and/or head of government, or a representative of a head of state.

Rank	Name	Age	Position	Born
1	Sebastian Kurz	32 years	Chancellor of Austria (since 2017)	27 August 1986
2	Luca Santolini	33 years	Captain Regent of San Marino (since 2018)	22 February 1985
3	Kim Jong-un	35 years	Supreme Leader of North Korea (since 2011)	8 January 1983
4	Mamuka Bakhtadze	36 years	Prime Minister of Georgia (since 2018)	9 June 1982
5	Jacinda Ardern	38 years	Prime Minister of New Zealand (since 2017)	26 July 1980
6	Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani	38 years	Emir of Qatar (since 2013)	3 June 1980
7	Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck	38 years	King of Bhutan (since 2006)	21 February 1980
8	Carlos Alvarado Quesada	38 years	President of Costa Rica (since 2018)	14 January 1980
9	Leo Varadkar	39 years	Taoiseach of Ireland (since 2017)	18 January 1979
10	Jüri Ratas	40 years	Prime Minister of Estonia (since 2016)	2 July 1978