"Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that I am prime and sole minister in this country, am I, therefore, prime and sole minister of all Europe? Am I answerable for the conduct of other countries as well as for that of my own?"
- Robert Walpole
About this Quote
This quote by Robert Walpole is a rhetorical question that speaks with the limits of power and obligation. Walpole is suggesting that even if he were to be the prime and sole minister of a country, it does not necessarily imply that he would be the prime and sole minister of all of Europe. He is questioning whether he would be accountable for the conduct of other nations, in addition to his own. This quote talks to the idea that power and responsibility are not always equal, and that one person can not be anticipated to be responsible for the actions of a whole continent. Walpole is emphasizing the significance of understanding the limitations of power and obligation, and the requirement to recognize that one individual can not be anticipated to take on the problem of a whole continent.
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