4 quotes that help you through the day

Today, the Volkskrant opened with a printed message. Not just any message, but a quite crucial one. Namely, a message from Hugo de Jonge about Sywert van Lienden. It was remarkable and newsworthy, especially because it became clear that Hugo de Jonge was indeed part of the deal with Sywert, something he had systematically denied all along. Are we surprised? Nah. Do we have more important things to worry about? I think so. It’s not like Hugo de Jonge had any bad intentions in facilitating this contact that ultimately led to the deal. Let’s please aim our arrows at that Sywert and get him to transfer that 20 million to 555 as soon as possible. But what struck me was the quote itself. ‘You’d rather have that Sywert inside pissing out than outside pissing in.’ I thought it was well put. It turned out not to be an invention of Hugo himself, but a quote from a quote by Lyndon B. Johnson (quick question, why does almost every American president always use that middle initial?) who used it about J. Edgar Hoover (hey, he just puts his initial in front).

All those presidents had naturally wonderful spin doctors who came up with quotes that made history. I just listed a few golden nuggets.

De enige beperking voor onze realisatie van morgen zullen onze twijfels van vandaag zijn.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Conformiteit is de gevangenis van vrijheid en de vijand van groei.
John F. Kennedy

Wanneer je het einde van je touw bereikt, maak er een knoop in en houd vol.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

De enige man die geen fouten maakt, is de man die niets doet.
Theodore Roosevelt

And then of course as a dessert how he really was:
Ik heb liever dat hij binnen de tent plast dan buiten plast.
Lyndon B. Johnson