--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We currently have a government planning…" description: "\"We currently have a government planning to go to Mars, heal broken marriages, and build bridges to nowhere - and also one that cannot wage a war compet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/andrew-sullivan-4198_asks_we-currently-have-a-government-planning_3126059.png" --- # We currently have a government planning to go to Mars… ![“We currently have a government planning to go to Mars, heal broken marriages, and build bridges to nowhere - and also one that cannot wage a war competently, cannot respond to a hurricane adequately, and cannot enforce borders. Is it too much to ask that it get the basic things right before…” quote by Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/andrew-sullivan-4198_asks_we-currently-have-a-government-planning_3126059.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/andrew-sullivan-4198_asks_we-currently-have-a-government-planning_3126059.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f86/andrew-sullivan-4198_asks_we-currently-have-a-government-planning_3126059.png) > “We currently have a government planning to go to Mars, heal broken marriages, and build bridges to nowhere - and also one that cannot wage a war competently, cannot respond to a hurricane adequately, and cannot enforce borders. Is it too much to ask that it get the basic things right before embarking on grandiose schemes?” [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Governments should master essential services before pursuing ambitious projects; overextension risks neglecting basic needs. **In simple terms:** Fix basics before big dreams. Key Takeaway Prioritize core functions before grand plans. Themes governance prioritization resource allocation risk management policy Mood critical concerned Type political analytical When to use this quote - budget planning - infrastructure repair - disaster response - border security Key Concepts public administration strategic planning systems theory Questions to Reflect On - Are we balancing immediate needs with long‑term goals? - What mechanisms ensure accountability for basic services? A Different Perspective Complex crises may demand simultaneous large‑scale actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Basic things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basic-things/) [Borders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borders/) [Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Broken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken/) [Broken marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-marriage/) [Broken Marriages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-marriages-224230/) [Currently Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currently-government-5509246/) [Embarking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embarking/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-planning-1040795/) [Grandiose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandiose/) [Heal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heal/) [Hurricanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricanes/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mars/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Planning Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning-mars-5509245/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Schemes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schemes/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Without government planning, economic resources and scientific research, individuals will not get far in their quest for happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/without-government-planning-economic-resources-and-scientific/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [For three decades, we have sought to solve the problems of unemployment through government planning, and the more the plans fail, the more the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/for-three-decades-we-have-sought-to-solve-the-problems-of/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Government planning not only fails; it tends to produce outcomes that are the opposite of what its proponents say that they favor. 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And the first conversation I ever had with anybody was in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/the-first-person-i-came-out-to-was-god-and-the-first-conversation-i/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [If religion is about truth, why is it so afraid of error?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/if-religion-is-about-truth-why-is-it-so-afraid-of-error/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [“Even if it's deep unhappiness, it's your unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/even-if-it-s-deep-unhappiness-it-s-your-unhappiness/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [Monsters remain human beings. 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It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. 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