[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fkl4c49ES_2Zb-mgkTjNQZNkd0kcZQ39xsHwUZJ-kS3I":3,"$fJUuhkN5TN_ImWimLmrh7hAmC2egrH7BLm9dEr4km5es":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},113264,"Floyd Abrams","F",74,null,"floyd-abrams",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":94},[14,23,29,35,41,47,53,59,72,83],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":22},3026969,"The government understands – every government, every administration, both parties, understands – that that power, they just don’t have.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nFloyd Abrams, a renowned First Amendment lawyer, likely uttered these words in the context of his work on the Pentagon Papers case in the early 1970s. This era was marked by growing public distrust of government secrecy and the Vietnam War, which had reached a critical point. Abrams' statement reflects his understanding of the government's limitations in controlling information.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe counter-intuitive truth here is that the government's understanding of its power limitations is not about its actual capabilities, but rather about its willingness to push boundaries. Abrams is highlighting the tension between the government's desire for control and its recognition of the limits imposed by the First Amendment and other constitutional safeguards.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen navigating complex power dynamics in your professional or personal life, remember that the people in power may be aware of their limitations, even if they choose not to acknowledge them. By recognizing this dynamic, you can more effectively challenge unjust authority and advocate for your rights and those of others.",{"id":24,"quote_text":25,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":9},3026944,"It is within the last quarter century or thirty years. And a lot of that law has turned out to be very, very protective of the press and the public’s right to know.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},3026928,"I just had the sense that at least the books that I had read about law just didn’t really have enough of that.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},3026915,"If the word gets out, if the perception exists that by speaking to a CBS journalist you are, therefore, inevitably, immediately speaking to the police, I don’t think there’s any doubt but that people won’t talk. And, therefore, the public won’t learn.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":42,"quote_text":43,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":44,"source":45,"quote_tag":46,"commentary":9},3026899,"I really believe that a lawyer – no matter how good – if he or she is really worth their weight in salt, they will lose some cases because, after all, it is not really one of those secretive things that not everything is decided by who your lawyer is.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},3026880,"It’s not like learning how to hit a curve ball in baseball.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},3026871,"I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 – in which the government tried to block the The New York Times and The Washington Post that they obtained from a secret study of how we got involved in the war in Vietnam – that is probably the most important case.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":62,"has_image":18,"author":63,"source":64,"quote_tag":65,"commentary":71},904114,"The government understands - every government, every administration, both parties, understands - that that power, they just don't have.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[66],{"id":67,"tag":68},3907150,{"id":69,"tag_name":70},702,"party","**The Backstory**\nFloyd Abrams, a renowned First Amendment lawyer, likely uttered this quote during a period of heightened scrutiny on government overreach, possibly in the early 2000s when the Patriot Act was being debated. Abrams has a long history of challenging government attempts to infringe on civil liberties, and this quote reflects his expertise on the power dynamics between the government and the individual. His statement was probably made in a public forum or an interview, where he was discussing the limits of government authority.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe hidden insight in this quote lies in the acknowledgment that governments understand the limits of their power, yet they consistently attempt to push those boundaries. This paradox highlights the tension between the government's self-perceived authority and its actual constitutional constraints. Abrams is suggesting that governments are aware of their own limitations, but they choose to ignore them, often under the guise of national security or public interest.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, recognize that even the most powerful entities have self-imposed limitations, and understanding these boundaries can be a powerful tool for negotiation and advocacy. When facing a seemingly all-powerful adversary, look for the areas where they are aware of their own vulnerabilities and use this knowledge to your advantage.",{"id":73,"quote_text":74,"author_id":5,"source_id":62,"has_image":18,"author":75,"source":76,"quote_tag":77,"commentary":9},904104,"I thought I could do that by telling stories of some of the cases that established those principles on a real life on the ground basis.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[78],{"id":79,"tag":80},3907139,{"id":81,"tag_name":82},4206,"real",{"id":84,"quote_text":85,"author_id":5,"source_id":62,"has_image":18,"author":86,"source":87,"quote_tag":88,"commentary":9},904095,"I really do think that if we had lost that case we would really live in a country that would be really quite different.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[89],{"id":90,"tag":91},3907130,{"id":92,"tag_name":93},56,"thinking",{"currentPage":95,"totalPages":96,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":97},1,8,10]