“It is actually not about a wall, it is not about the border, and it is certainly not about the well-being of everyday Americans… The truth is, this shutdown is about the erosion of American democracy and the subversion of our most basic governmental norms.”
Quoted in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's First House Speech Broke a C-SPAN Record. Here's What She Said, Time magazine http://time.com/5506749/alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-house-speech-cspan-record/ (17 January 2018)
Quotes (2019)
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American politician 1989Related quotes

NPR: Excerpt: The Best of I.F. Stone (5 September 2006)

“Americans need to face the truth about themselves, no matter how pleasant it is.”
As quoted by Dinesh D'Souza in What's So Great About America (2003), Ch. 6: America the Beautiful

Editorial, Hartford Courant (27 August 1897); this remark was reportedly quoted by Mark Twain and it has become often attributed to him, but the context of the statement might indicate the contrary situation
Paraphrased variant: Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.
Variant: Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.

Speech at the Chamber of Commerce, New York City, New York (2 January 1896)
Context: What is the rule of honor to be observed by a power so strongly and so advantageously situated as this Republic is? Of course I do not expect it meekly to pocket real insults if they should be offered to it. But, surely, it should not, as our boyish jingoes wish it to do, swagger about among the nations of the world, with a chip on its shoulder, shaking its fist in everybody's face. Of course, it should not tamely submit to real encroachments upon its rights. But, surely, it should not, whenever its own notions of right or interest collide with the notions of others, fall into hysterics and act as if it really feared for its own security and its very independence.
As a true gentleman, conscious of his strength and his dignity, it should be slow to take offense. In its dealings with other nations it should have scrupulous regard, not only for their rights, but also for their self-respect. With all its latent resources for war, it should be the great peace power of the world. It should never forget what a proud privilege and what an inestimable blessing it is not to need and not to have big armies or navies to support. It should seek to influence mankind, not by heavy artillery, but by good example and wise counsel. It should see its highest glory, not in battles won, but in wars prevented. It should be so invariably just and fair, so trustworthy, so good tempered, so conciliatory, that other nations would instinctively turn to it as their mutual friend and the natural adjuster of their differences, thus making it the greatest preserver of the world's peace.
This is not a mere idealistic fancy. It is the natural position of this great republic among the nations of the earth. It is its noblest vocation, and it will be a glorious day for the United States when the good sense and the self-respect of the American people see in this their "manifest destiny." It all rests upon peace. Is not this peace with honor? There has, of late, been much loose speech about "Americanism." Is not this good Americanism? It is surely today the Americanism of those who love their country most. And I fervently hope that it will be and ever remain the Americanism of our children and our children's children.

“Americans just don't know what being a movie star's all about.”
Patti Smith: Can You Hear Me Ethiopia?, Cohen, Scott, Circus Magazine, 1976-12-14 http://www.oceanstar.com/patti/intervus/761214ci.htm,

As quoted in "A close encounter with Chris Carter" at Salon (28 April 2000) http://www.salon.com/2000/04/28/chriscarter/
Context: The most difficult thing to reconcile is science and religion … And so we created a
dilemma for her character that plays right into Mulder’s hands. So that cross she wears,
which was there from the pilot episode, is all-important for a character who is torn
between her rational character and her spiritual side. That is, I think, a very smart
thing to do. The show is basically a religious show. It’s about the search for God. You
know, "The truth is out there." That’s what it’s about.

2000s, Where the Right Went Wrong (2004)

Seth Lloyd, cited in: Michael Schmiechen (2009) Newton's Principia Revisited. p. 885