The last word

(Canscene) From The March of Folly by Barbara W. Tuchman.

Rulers will justify a bad or wrong decision on the ground, as a historian and partisan wrote of John F. Kennedy, that “He had no choice,” but no matter how equal two alternatives may appear, there is always freedom of choice to change or desist from a counter-productive course if the policy-make has the moral courage to exercise it. He is not a fated creature blown by the winds of Homeric gods. Yet to recognize error, to cut losses to alter course, is the most repugnant option in government.

For a chief of state, admitting error is almost out of the question.
–30–

One Response to “The last word”

  1. Bill Says:

    John Tory survived as provincial leader of his party after admitting his mistake about public funding of religious schools, but not by much.

    Of course, being a party chief is not the same as being a chief of state. If Tory had won, would he have admitted that his school policy was in error, or would he have implemented it?