--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the American people knew what we have…" description: "\"If the American people knew what we have done, they would string us up from the lamp posts.\" — George H. W. Bush" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_if-the-american-people-knew-what-we-have_285571.png" --- # If the American people knew what we have done, they would… ![“If the American people knew what we have done, they would string us up from the lamp posts.” quote by George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_if-the-american-people-knew-what-we-have_285571.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_if-the-american-people-knew-what-we-have_285571.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/george-h-w-bush-1459_america_if-the-american-people-knew-what-we-have_285571.png) > “If the American people knew what we have done, they would string us up from the lamp posts.” [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests that if the public knew the truth, they'd punish the leaders harshly. **In simple terms:** Secrets could lead to severe public backlash. Key Takeaway Promote transparency and accountability. Themes politics secrecy accountability Mood serious concerned Type political historical When to use this quote - government scandals - military actions - public trust Key Concepts ethics power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders rebuild trust? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Public reaction may vary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew/) [Knew String](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knew-string-2760651/) [Lamp Posts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lamp-posts-2760650/) [Lamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lamps/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-knew/) [Posts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posts/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) ## Related quotes > [Critics are to authors what dogs are to lamp-posts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-robinson/critics-are-to-authors-what-dogs-are-to-lamp-posts/) [Jeffrey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-robinson/) > [Someone with a dog asked how far it was from A to B. I told him 15 lamp posts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-dangoor/someone-with-a-dog-asked-how-far-it-was-from-a-to-b-i-told-him-15/) [Robert D Dangoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-dangoor/) > [He uses statistics like a drunk uses lamp-posts, more for support than illumination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romano-prodi/he-uses-statistics-like-a-drunk-uses-lamp-posts-more-for-support-than/) [Romano Prodi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romano-prodi/) > [I've got some of my best yarns from park benches, lamp posts and newspaper stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-henry/i-ve-got-some-of-my-best-yarns-from-park-benches-lamp-posts-and/) [O. Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/o-henry/) > [For a while I didn't have a car . . . 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Waiter! raw beef-steak for the gentleman's eye,-nothing like raw beef-steak for a bruise, sir; cold lamp-post very good, but lamp-post inconvenient-damned odd standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/waiter-raw-beef-steak-for-the-gentleman-s-eye-nothing-like-raw-beef/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The road to Hell is paved with the bones of priests and monks, and the skulls of bishops are the lamp posts that light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-john-chrysostom/the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-the-bones-of-priests-and-monks-and-the/) [Saint John Chrysostom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-john-chrysostom/) > [Records were vitally important to the development of music and of all music cultures. 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Suddenly, they were coming up and saying, "You're my favorite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-wight/i-had-no-idea-the-amount-of-people-who-even-knew-who-i-was-suddenly/) [Eric Wight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-wight/) > [What was funny if you were there is that we were all immensely sophisticated people who knew exactly what she was going to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/what-was-funny-if-you-were-there-is-that-we-were-all-immensely/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [“People always knew more than you gave them credit for. Perhaps, in the end, no one had any secrets at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-russell/people-always-knew-more-than-you-gave-them-credit-for-perhaps-in-the/) [Paul Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-russell/) ## More by George H. W. Bush > [America's freedom is the example to which the world expires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/america-s-freedom-is-the-example-to-which-the-world-expires/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [I am not one who - who flamboyantly believes in throwing a lot of words around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-am-not-one-who-who-flamboyantly-believes-in-throwing-a-lot-of-words/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Be bold in your caring, and be bold in your dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/be-bold-in-your-caring-and-be-bold-in-your-dreaming/) [George H. W. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [No, I'm not anguished and tormented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/no-i-m-not-anguished-and-tormented/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [You know I vowed when I became President not to talk about the loneliest toughest job in the world and I didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/you-know-i-vowed-when-i-became-president-not-to-talk-about-the/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [I think it's very hard to fight the war on terrorism if we're in retreat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-think-it-s-very-hard-to-fight-the-war-on-terrorism-if-we-re-in/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [I firmly believed we should not march into Baghdad ...To occupy Iraq would instantly shatter our coalition, turning the whole Arab world against us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-firmly-believed-we-should-not-march-into-baghdad-to-occupy-iraq/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Ozone Man, Ozone. He's crazy, way out, far out, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/ozone-man-ozone-he-s-crazy-way-out-far-out-man/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [What's wrong with being a boring kind of guy?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/what-s-wrong-with-being-a-boring-kind-of-guy/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [The liberation of Kuwait has begun. In conjunction with the forces of our coalition partners, the United States has moved under the code name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/the-liberation-of-kuwait-has-begun-in-conjunction-with-the-forces-of/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [The United States will continue its efforts to improve our understanding of climate change - to seek hard data, accurate models, and new ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/the-united-states-will-continue-its-efforts-to-improve-our/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [If you believe that there's a being superior to yourself and that will guide you, strengthen you that helps a lot but, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/if-you-believe-that-there-s-a-being-superior-to-yourself-and-that/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) [Explore all 239 George H. W. 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I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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