Cutthroat Business

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"[Madison's and Jefferson's] was a cutthroat business. Consequently, their often devious political strategizing does not have to diminish the achievements of either Madison or Jefferson." -- Madison and Jefferson, p. 621

This is a curious thing to say. Couldn't one write something similar about, say, Al Capone: "His was a murderous business. Consequently, his many killings do not have to diminish his achievements"?

If politics is as necessarily "cutthroat" as Burstein and Isenberg seem to assume, perhaps the honorable thing to do is opt out of it?

Comments

  1. Ken B12:30 PM

    Diminishes them, not their achievements. Gesualdo had his wife murdered. You ever hear his music though?

    ReplyDelete

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