--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One can imagine the government's problem…" description: "\"One can imagine the government's problem. This is all pretty magical stuff to them. If I were trying to terminate the operations of a witch coven, I'd ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/john-perry-barlow-9208_brooms_one-can-imagine-the-government-s-problem_2294547.jpg" --- # One can imagine the government's problem. This is all… ![“One can imagine the government's problem. This is all pretty magical stuff to them. If I were trying to terminate the operations of a witch coven, I'd probably seize everything in sight. How would I tell the ordinary household brooms from the getaway vehicles?” quote by John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/john-perry-barlow-9208_brooms_one-can-imagine-the-government-s-problem_2294547.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/john-perry-barlow-9208_brooms_one-can-imagine-the-government-s-problem_2294547.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed8/john-perry-barlow-9208_brooms_one-can-imagine-the-government-s-problem_2294547.jpg) > “One can imagine the government's problem. This is all pretty magical stuff to them. If I were trying to terminate the operations of a witch coven, I'd probably seize everything in sight. How would I tell the ordinary household brooms from the getaway vehicles?” [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government may view magical problems as threats; distinguishing normal from dangerous is hard. **In simple terms:** Government sees magic as threat. Key Takeaway Clarify threats carefully. Themes government security magic perception Mood cautious thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - law enforcement - community safety Key Concepts political theory mythology Questions to Reflect On - How to differentiate ordinary from dangerous? - What criteria should guide enforcement? A Different Perspective Over‑classification can harm innocents. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brooms/) [Coven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coven/) [Coven Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coven-probably-5404957/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Getaways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getaways/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-problem-801581/) [Household](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/household/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Operations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operations/) [Operations Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/operations-witch-5404959/) [Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Vehicle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vehicle/) [Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch/) [Witch Coven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-coven-5404958/) ## Related quotes > [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Take care of the cojones and the frijoles will take care of themselves. Try to have getaway money - but don't be fanatic about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/take-care-of-the-cojones-and-the-frijoles-will-take-care-of/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Normally in dangerous situations I have a getaway car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-baron-cohen/normally-in-dangerous-situations-i-have-a-getaway-car/) [Sacha Baron Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-baron-cohen/) > [I love performing. It's a phenomenal getaway. If you want to really let out everything you feel, that's the time to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-love-performing-it-s-a-phenomenal-getaway-if-you-want-to-really-let/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [We only regard those unions as real examples of love and real marriages in which a fixed and unalterable decision has been taken. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-adler/we-only-regard-those-unions-as-real-examples-of-love-and-real/) [Alfred Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-adler/) > [It would be great to have a little getaway place somewhere hot, maybe down in Mexico, since I love it there. But now that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/it-would-be-great-to-have-a-little-getaway-place-somewhere-hot-maybe/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [I love the Midwest. I think about it every day. I wonder if I would rather have a little farm in the Midwest, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lando/i-love-the-midwest-i-think-about-it-every-day-i-wonder-if-i-would/) [Joe Lando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lando/) > [But the good news, the crime rate is down. Isn't that amazing? Less banks are being robbed. Well, sure. A, there's less banks. B,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/but-the-good-news-the-crime-rate-is-down-isn-t-that-amazing-less/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [This was not an attack by a mentally deranged, lone-wolf gunman. This was not an 'un-Islamic' attack by a bunch of thugs - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/this-was-not-an-attack-by-a-mentally-deranged-lone-wolf-gunman-this/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [Well Getaway was a script that was submitted to us for production and I read it and thought it would be a cool movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-solomon/well-getaway-was-a-script-that-was-submitted-to-us-for-production-and/) [Courtney Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-solomon/) > [These are Gerald Celente's three Gs: gold, guns and a getaway plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-celente/these-are-gerald-celente-s-three-gs-gold-guns-and-a-getaway-plan/) [Gerald Celente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-celente/) > [You never help others by allowing them to getaway with giving less than their best efforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foreman/you-never-help-others-by-allowing-them-to-getaway-with-giving-less/) [George Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foreman/) > [I'm not like most designers, who have to set sail on an exotic getaway to get inspired. Most of the time, it's on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-wang/i-m-not-like-most-designers-who-have-to-set-sail-on-an-exotic-getaway/) [Alexander Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-wang/) > [To tell the truth, when I watch HGTV and see these getaways in parts of South Carolina, it looks so beautiful that I'd love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rev-run/to-tell-the-truth-when-i-watch-hgtv-and-see-these-getaways-in-parts/) [Rev. Run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rev-run/) > [What attracted me to A Perfect Getaway was that I sorta played a girlfriend role for, you know, 85 percent of the film. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/what-attracted-me-to-a-perfect-getaway-was-that-i-sorta-played-a/) [Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/) ## More by John Perry Barlow > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [“the first responsibility of a human being is to be a better ancestor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-responsibility-of-a-human-being-is-to-be-a-better-ancestor/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Our universities are so determined to impose tolerance that they'll expel you for saying what you think and never notice the irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/our-universities-are-so-determined-to-impose-tolerance-that-they-ll/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [You do not know our culture, our ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order than could be obtained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/you-do-not-know-our-culture-our-ethics-or-the-unwritten-codes-that/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [The real issue is control. The Internet is too widespread to be easily dominated by any single government. By creating a seamless global economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-real-issue-is-control-the-internet-is-too-widespread-to-be-easily/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I don't know that I believe in the supernatural, but I do believe in miracles, and our time together was filled with the events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-don-t-know-that-i-believe-in-the-supernatural-but-i-do-believe-in/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I'm a member of that half of the human race which is inclined to divide the human race into two kinds of people. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-m-a-member-of-that-half-of-the-human-race-which-is-inclined-to/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I ... believe that angels, or something like them, sometimes live among us, hidden within our fellow human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-believe-that-angels-or-something-like-them-sometimes-live-among-us/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I think that humor is part of what saves us from despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-think-that-humor-is-part-of-what-saves-us-from-despair/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I personally think intellectual property is an oxymoron. Physical objects have a completely different natural economy than intellectual goods. It's a tricky thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/i-personally-think-intellectual-property-is-an-oxymoron-physical/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Any powerful technology has sauce for the goose and the gander... It's just an extension of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/any-powerful-technology-has-sauce-for-the-goose-and-the-gander-it-s/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Art is a service, not a product. Created beauty is a relationship, and a relationship with the Holy at that. Reducing such work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/art-is-a-service-not-a-product-created-beauty-is-a-relationship-and-a/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/we-will-create-a-civilization-of-the-mind-in-cyberspace-may-it-be/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [Incompetence is a double-edged banana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/incompetence-is-a-double-edged-banana/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [The first serious infowar is now engaged. The field of battle is WikiLeaks. You are the troops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-serious-infowar-is-now-engaged-the-field-of-battle-is/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) [Explore all 74 John Perry Barlow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) ## More Brooms quotes > [There's times when I'm cleaning the kitchen, and while I'm doing that, I'm singing and air guitaring with a broom to 'You Should Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/there-s-times-when-i-m-cleaning-the-kitchen-and-while-i-m-doing-that/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [“Street sweepers were pulling their wide brooms down the road and the swish of their brooms filtered through the tail-end of her dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shani-mootoo/street-sweepers-were-pulling-their-wide-brooms-down-the-road-and-the/) [Shani Mootoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shani-mootoo/) > [After that, he tried to go upstairs through the broom cupboard, and then the yard. This seemed to puzzle him a little. But finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-wynne-jones/after-that-he-tried-to-go-upstairs-through-the-broom-cupboard-and/) [Diana Wynne Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-wynne-jones/) > [Let’s see . . . ah, yes, this is nice and cozy.” It was a broom cupboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-s-see-ah-yes-this-is-nice-and-cozy-it-was-a-broom-cupboard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The person who sweeps the floor should choose the broom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-behar/the-person-who-sweeps-the-floor-should-choose-the-broom/) [Howard Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-behar/) > [Honoured sir, poverty is not a vice, that's a true saying. Yet I know too that drunkeness is not a virtue, and that's even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/honoured-sir-poverty-is-not-a-vice-that-s-a-true-saying-yet-i-know/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [There was this big skiffle craze happening for a while in England… Everybody was in a skiffle group..All you needed was an acoustic Guitar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/there-was-this-big-skiffle-craze-happening-for-a-while-in-england/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [She comes by night, in fearsome flight, in garments black as pitch, the queen of doom upon her broom, the wild and wicked witch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-prelutsky/she-comes-by-night-in-fearsome-flight-in-garments-black-as-pitch-the/) [Jack Prelutsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-prelutsky/) > [I mean, give me a guitar, give me a piano, give me a broom and string, I wouldn't get bored anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/i-mean-give-me-a-guitar-give-me-a-piano-give-me-a-broom-and-string-i/) [Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/) > [I use all sorts of things to work with: old brooms, old sweaters, and all kinds of peculiar tools and materials... I paint to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-use-all-sorts-of-things-to-work-with-old-brooms-old-sweaters-and/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [It is up to us to organize the people. As for the reactionaries in China, it is up to us to organize the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/it-is-up-to-us-to-organize-the-people-as-for-the-reactionaries-in/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [Photographers who come up with power never get accused of imitating anyone else even though they photograph the same broom, same street, same portraits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/photographers-who-come-up-with-power-never-get-accused-of-imitating/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands,' said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/draco-malfoy/my-father-s-next-door-buying-my-books-and-mother-s-up-the-street/) [Draco Malfoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/draco-malfoy/) > [There should be less talk. . . . What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/there-should-be-less-talk-what-do-you-do-then-take-a-broom-and-clean/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Meditation is like a giant broom for sweeping away any stagnant or blocked energy that you may have buried deep in your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-king/meditation-is-like-a-giant-broom-for-sweeping-away-any-stagnant-or/) [Deborah King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-king/) [Browse all 93 Brooms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brooms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "One can imagine the government's problem. This is all pretty magical stuff to them. If I were trying to terminate the operations of a witch coven, I'd probably seize everything in sight. 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