--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But politicians who talk about failed…" description: "\"But politicians who talk about failed policies are just blowing smoke. Government policies succeed in doing exactly what they are supposed to do: chann..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/robert-higgs-12637_blowing-smoke_but-politicians-who-talk-about-failed-po_811191.jpg" --- # But politicians who talk about failed policies are just… ![“But politicians who talk about failed policies are just blowing smoke. Government policies succeed in doing exactly what they are supposed to do: channeling resources bilked from the general public to politically organized and influential interests groups.” quote by Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/robert-higgs-12637_blowing-smoke_but-politicians-who-talk-about-failed-po_811191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/robert-higgs-12637_blowing-smoke_but-politicians-who-talk-about-failed-po_811191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/robert-higgs-12637_blowing-smoke_but-politicians-who-talk-about-failed-po_811191.jpg) > “But politicians who talk about failed policies are just blowing smoke. Government policies succeed in doing exactly what they are supposed to do: channeling resources bilked from the general public to politically organized and influential interests groups.” [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Policies often serve the interests that fund them, channeling public resources to powerful groups rather than the public good. **In simple terms:** Policies can be self‑serving. Key Takeaway Scrutinize who benefits from policies. Themes politics power economics Mood skeptical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - voting decisions - policy analysis - activism - budget planning Key Concepts public choice interest groups Questions to Reflect On - Who truly benefits from a given policy? - How can citizens hold policymakers accountable? A Different Perspective Assuming all policies are corrupt ignores genuine public‑service efforts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blowing smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blowing-smoke/) [General public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-public/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-policy/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Interest groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest-groups/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoke/) ## Related quotes > [Yeah, man. It's time to let de people get good herbs and smoke. Government's a joke. All dey wan' is ya smoke cigarettes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/yeah-man-it-s-time-to-let-de-people-get-good-herbs-and-smoke/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [It's not natural disasters that are to blame for the deprivation of the North Korean people, but the failed policies of Kim Jong Il.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/it-s-not-natural-disasters-that-are-to-blame-for-the-deprivation-of/) [John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/) > [Unfortunately, President Obama's failed policies of new regulations, higher taxes, and Obamacare and his anti-business rhetoric have hit Hispanics especially hard. Big government really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/unfortunately-president-obama-s-failed-policies-of-new-regulations/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If we can be sure of anything, it's that the immense challenges faced by our country and our nation cannot be solved by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-long/if-we-can-be-sure-of-anything-it-s-that-the-immense-challenges-faced/) [Wendy Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-long/) > [If giving tax breaks to millionaires created jobs or grew our economy, I would be in favor of them, but they are the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-walz/if-giving-tax-breaks-to-millionaires-created-jobs-or-grew-our-economy/) [Tim Walz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-walz/) > [Once again, we see the Bush administration paying for its failed policies by cutting funds to vital public services and jeopardizing more American jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrine-brown/once-again-we-see-the-bush-administration-paying-for-its-failed/) [Corrine Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrine-brown/) > [“Greece was merely the laboratory where these failed policies were being tested and developed before their implementation everywhere across Europe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanis-varoufakis/greece-was-merely-the-laboratory-where-these-failed-policies-were/) [Yanis Varoufakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanis-varoufakis/) > [The measurement of good policy is the well-being of the community. I saw the human faces of failed policies, and they weren't smiling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-ruiz/the-measurement-of-good-policy-is-the-well-being-of-the-community-i/) [Raul Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raul-ruiz/) > [“Sometimes we'd sit on that bench for hours, talking about nothing much and blowing smoke rings into the air, and we'd see them teetering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ire-t-robinson/sometimes-we-d-sit-on-that-bench-for-hours-talking-about-nothing-much/) Máire T. 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Nothingness. Okay?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/meditation-said-his-teacher-hasn-t-got-a-damn-thing-to-do-with/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“Hash tag” is a game in which participants run around blowing the smoke of a combustible opiate in one another’s face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/hash-tag-is-a-game-in-which-participants-run-around-blowing-the-smoke/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [One of the wonderful things about Portlandia - and I'm not just blowing smoke, although I can blow smoke, but I'm not - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-raab/one-of-the-wonderful-things-about-portlandia-and-i-m-not-just-blowing/) [Scott Raab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-raab/) ## More by Robert Higgs > [Recipients of transfers set a bad example for others, including their children, other relatives, and friends, who see that one can receive goods, services,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/recipients-of-transfers-set-a-bad-example-for-others-including-their/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [In debates between anarchists and statists, the burden of proof clearly should rest on those who place their trust in the state. Anarchy's mayhem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/in-debates-between-anarchists-and-statists-the-burden-of-proof/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [“Anarchists did not try to carry out genocide against the Armenians in Turkey; they did not deliberately starve millions of Ukrainians; they did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/anarchists-did-not-try-to-carry-out-genocide-against-the-armenians-in/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [We need to have a modicum of faith in people's common sense, creativity and will to survive and prosper even in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/we-need-to-have-a-modicum-of-faith-in-people-s-common-sense/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [To continue on the road we Americans have traveled for the past century is ultimately to deliver ourselves completely into the hands of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/to-continue-on-the-road-we-americans-have-traveled-for-the-past/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [Inflation is not a benign element in the economy's operation. 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But if your house is on fire, the sensible course of action is to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/no-doubt-anarchy-once-established-might-not-last-forever-but-if-your/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [By adopting programs to distribute substantial amounts of income, a nation guarantees that its government will become more powerful and invasive in other ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/by-adopting-programs-to-distribute-substantial-amounts-of-income-a/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [All nonstate threats to life, liberty, and property appear to be relatively petty and therefore can be dealt with. 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