Quotes by Macmillan, Harold

"We have not overthrown the divine right of kings to fall down for the divine right of experts."

Macmillan, Harold on experts   

"It has been said that there is no fool like an old fool, except a young fool. But the young fool has first to grow up to be an old fool to realize what a damn fool he was when he was a young fool."

Macmillan, Harold on fools and foolishness   

"Memorial services are the cocktail parties of the geriatric set."

Macmillan, Harold on funerals   

"Marxism is like a classical building that followed the Renaissance; beautiful in its way, but incapable of growth."

Macmillan, Harold on marxism   

"Jaw-jaw is better than war-war."

Macmillan, Harold on negotiation   

"If you don't believe in God, all you have to believe in is decency. Decency is very good. Better decent than indecent. But I don't think it's enough."

Macmillan, Harold on atheism   

"As usual the Liberals offer a mixture of sound and original ideas. Unfortunately none of the sound ideas is original and none of the original ideas is sound."

Macmillan, Harold on politics   

"At home you always have to be a politician. When you're abroad you almost feel yourself a statesman."

Macmillan, Harold on politics   

"Power? It's like a Dead Sea fruit. When you achieve it, there is nothing there."

Macmillan, Harold on power   

"The wind of change is blowing through the continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact."

Macmillan, Harold on change   

"We do not intend to part from the Americans and we do not intend to be satellites. I am sure they do not want us to be so. The stronger we are, the better partners we shall be; and I feel certain that as the months pass we shall draw continually closer together with mutual confidence and respect. "

Macmillan, Harold on uncategorised   

"A Foreign Secretaryand this applies also to a prospective Foreign Secretaryis always faced with this cruel dilemma. Nothing he can say can do very much good, and almost anything he may say may do a great deal of harm. Anything he says that is not obvious is dangerous; whatever is not trite is risky. He is forever poised between the cliche and the indiscretion. "

Macmillan, Harold on uncategorised