If I had to choose between life in the Soviet Union and life in the United States of America, I would certainly choose the Soviet Union, if I had to choose between life in North Korea and life in South Korea, I would certainly choose North Korea.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Political choice often forces selecting the less harmful option.
- In plain terms
- Sometimes you just have to pick between two bad regimes.
- What can you take from it?
- Idealism fails when facing binary political constraints.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you choose between flawed options?
- Is choosing the lesser evil morally defensible?
Another view
The quote generalizes specific political realities.
More from Graham Greene
Heresy is another word for freedom of thought.
Permalink to quote #65 If one is going to write about war, self respect demands that one.
Permalink to quote #67 He entered the territory of lies without a passport for return.
Permalink to quote #64
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