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wanted to come right out of my chair at the witness table…

“wanted to come right out of my chair at the witness table and scream, You guys have been in business for over two hundred years and can’t pass routine legislation. How can you be so impatient with a bunch of parliamentarians who’ve been at it a year after four thousand years of dictatorship?” quote by Robert M. Gates
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““wanted to come right out of my chair at the witness table and scream, You guys have been in business for over two hundred years and can’t pass routine legislation. How can you be so impatient with a bunch of parliamentarians who’ve been at it a year after four thousand years of dictatorship?””

Robert M. Gates

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Criticizes bureaucratic inertia and impatience in legislative processes, urging respect for institutional experience.

In simple terms: Bureaucracy can be slow and impatient.

Key Takeaway

Respect experience, avoid rash reforms.

Themes

bureaucracy legislation experience

Mood

critical concerned

Type

political analytical

When to use this quote

  • government reform
  • policy making
  • organizational change
  • public administration

Key Concepts

institutional memory policy reform

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can institutions balance tradition with needed innovation?
  • What mechanisms ensure both efficiency and respect for experience?
A Different Perspective

Rapid change may ignore necessary reforms.

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