---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A party is a political tool. If it's no…"
description: "\"A party is a political tool. If it's no longer useful, it should be crumpled up and thrown away.\" — Shintaro Ishihara"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg"
---

#  A party is a political tool. If it's no longer useful, it…

![“A party is a political tool. If it's no longer useful, it should be crumpled up and thrown away.” quote by Shintaro Ishihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg)

> “A party is a political tool. If it's no longer useful, it should be crumpled up and thrown away.”

[Shintaro Ishihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shintar-ishihara/)

## About This Quote

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

Political parties are means, not ends; discard them when obsolete

**In simple terms:** Discard useless political tools

Key Takeaway

Evaluate party relevance regularly

Themes

politics utility renewal

Mood

critical analytical

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- campaign strategy
- voter education
- party reform

Key Concepts

Political theory institutional critique

Questions to Reflect On

- When should a party be reformed vs. discarded?
- How to ensure new tools replace old ones effectively?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex governance

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Party Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party-political-785905/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-tool-785906/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Thrown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrown/) [Thrown away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thrown-away/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/)

## Related quotes

> [Principles are only tools in the hands of God; they will soon be thrown away when they are no longer useful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/principles-are-only-tools-in-the-hands-of-god-they-will-soon-be/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [The death penalty in the U.S. has become a political tool - and it should never be that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennie-james/the-death-penalty-in-the-u-s-has-become-a-political-tool-and-it/)

[Lennie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennie-james/)

> [And internalization is used in this country as a very effective political tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/and-internalization-is-used-in-this-country-as-a-very-effective/)

[Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/)

> [ \[Democrats\] in their frustration at having lost, they've thrown away the camouflage now. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/democrats-in-their-frustration-at-having-lost-they-ve-thrown-away-the/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [In every area, we seem to have thrown everything away and embraced reality television. It's nauseating, programme after programme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-stott/in-every-area-we-seem-to-have-thrown-everything-away-and-embraced/)

[Ken Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-stott/)

> [The Democratic Party is now a political mechanism having a genuine political principle: national socialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/the-democratic-party-is-now-a-political-mechanism-having-a-genuine/)

[Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/)

> [We don't live in a party system where political parties have that kind of control of authority or authority over the people that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/we-don-t-live-in-a-party-system-where-political-parties-have-that/)

[Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/)

> [Faction is to party what the superlative is to the positive. Party is a political evil, and faction is the worst of all parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/faction-is-to-party-what-the-superlative-is-to-the-positive-party-is/)

[Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-st-john-1st-viscount-bolingbroke/)

> [Should any political party attempt to abolish social security unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs you would not hear of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/should-any-political-party-attempt-to-abolish-social-security/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [I will say that I'm not party political, I have no party agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omid-djalili/i-will-say-that-i-m-not-party-political-i-have-no-party-agenda/)

[Omid Djalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omid-djalili/)

> [The most misreported and misunderstood thing about the tea party is its political leanings. The tea party has no political leaning. It stands straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/the-most-misreported-and-misunderstood-thing-about-the-tea-party-is/)

[Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/)

> [I vary from issue to issue and Im not party political at all. I think its important in comedy not to come from any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-dennis/i-vary-from-issue-to-issue-and-im-not-party-political-at-all-i-think/)

[Hugh Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-dennis/)

> [All my life, the Republican Party has been my political home. Helping it succeed has been my work for decades. It was never perfect,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/all-my-life-the-republican-party-has-been-my-political-home-helping/)

[Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/)

> [All the media is anymore is the Democrat Party's agenda, the Democrat Party's political desires and objectives presented as "the news" and also presented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/all-the-media-is-anymore-is-the-democrat-party-s-agenda-the-democrat/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I'm not very party-political, really; I am more strategic than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/i-m-not-very-party-political-really-i-am-more-strategic-than-that/)

[Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/)

## More by Shintaro Ishihara

> [“But can love born of revenge avoid turning into cruel sport?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/but-can-love-born-of-revenge-avoid-turning-into-cruel-sport/)

[Shintarō Ishihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shintar-ishihara/)

> [Let them bomb Japan with that nasty missile. Their missile cannot load a nuclear warhead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/let-them-bomb-japan-with-that-nasty-missile-their-missile-cannot-load/)

[Shintaro Ishihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shintar-ishihara/)

> [Roppongi is now virtually a foreign neighborhood. Africans-I don't mean African-Americans-who don't speak English are there doing who knows what. This is leading to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/roppongi-is-now-virtually-a-foreign-neighborhood-africans-i-don-t/)

[Shintaro Ishihara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shintar-ishihara/)

[Explore all 4 Shintaro Ishihara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shintar-ishihara/)

## More Ifs quotes

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/)

[Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/)

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/)

[L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/)

> [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/)

[Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/)

> [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/)

[Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/)

> [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/)

[Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/)

[William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/)

> [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/)

[Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/)

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

[Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A party is a political tool. If it's no longer useful, it should be crumpled up and thrown away.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Shintaro Ishihara"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-longer-useful-it-should-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ifs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-longer-useful-it-should-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/shintar-ishihara-68151_ifs_a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-l_2473446.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A party is a political tool. If it's no longer useful, it should be crumpled up and thrown away.” — Shintaro Ishihara",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Shintaro Ishihara",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shintar-ishihara/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A party is a political tool....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-longer-useful-it-should-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shintar-ishihara/a-party-is-a-political-tool-if-it-s-no-longer-useful-it-should-be/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
