[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fb5bqbL9W064yzAHTIV-UiW2WGSkKiYCOsW2nBqvG-FQ":3,"$ffkTM6dypJdhBAK3FL-pg6dBHJVBXLi_e8HZRfUO0ZK0":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},164235,"Kathleen Troia McFarland","K",31,null,"kathleen-troia-mcfarland",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":117},[14,27,38,44,55,66,77,89,100,106],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},2042249,"Al Qaeda attacked the U.S.S. Cole and bombed several U.S. embassies in East Africa in the late 1990s. We knew who did it, but we didn't go after them. Instead, we beefed up security at our embassies and changed the Navy's rules of engagement. It only served to embolden Al Qaeda.",4,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[22],{"id":23,"tag":24},5029129,{"id":25,"tag_name":26},9440,"africa",{"id":28,"quote_text":29,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":30,"source":31,"quote_tag":32,"commentary":9},2042245,"When the commander-in-chief sends Americans to fight and die, it should be only to protect our vital national interests, not for his own personal, political gain.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[33],{"id":34,"tag":35},5029126,{"id":36,"tag_name":37},21502,"national",{"id":39,"quote_text":40,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":41,"source":42,"quote_tag":43,"commentary":9},2042243,"The majority of people think their children's lives will not be as good as theirs. Nearly half of all Americans are no longer proud of their country. Politicians have become a despised breed.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":45,"quote_text":46,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":47,"source":48,"quote_tag":49,"commentary":9},2042238,"Reagan won the Cold War by first restoring America's economy and military and then staring down an economically weakened Soviet Union. He knew defeating Russia couldn't be accomplished without laying the groundwork.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[50],{"id":51,"tag":52},5029118,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},1510,"cold",{"id":56,"quote_text":57,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":58,"source":59,"quote_tag":60,"commentary":9},2042237,"Americans don't like to stand by while innocent people are killed and watch a human disaster unfold. It goes against our very fiber. We feel compelled to do something.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[61],{"id":62,"tag":63},5029117,{"id":64,"tag_name":65},63991,"compelled",{"id":67,"quote_text":68,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":9},2042234,"Whatever the final outcome in Iraq, our men and women in uniform should stand tall with pride for a job well done. It was our political leaders - of both parties and both presidencies - who failed us.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[72],{"id":73,"tag":74},5029114,{"id":75,"tag_name":76},12154,"both",{"id":78,"quote_text":79,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":80,"source":81,"quote_tag":82,"commentary":88},2042230,"It's the libertarians who want to reclaim decision-making for themselves. It's the small government folks who see government as a great Leviathan gobbling up more and more of their treasure and freedoms.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[83],{"id":84,"tag":85},5029111,{"id":86,"tag_name":87},42830,"folks","**The Backstory**\nKathleen Troia McFarland, a former aide to President Ronald Reagan, likely penned this quote during the 1980s, a time of heightened ideological debates over government size and individual freedom. McFarland's statement reflects the contentious atmosphere surrounding Reagan's policies, which aimed to reduce government intervention in the economy. This era saw libertarians and advocates of small government increasingly vocal about their opposition to what they saw as an overreaching government.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote reveals a counterintuitive truth about the relationship between libertarians and government. While one might assume that libertarians inherently desire a minimal state, McFarland's statement suggests that, for some, the issue is not necessarily the size of government but rather who holds the reins of power. The true concern is the concentration of decision-making authority in the hands of the government, rather than its scope.\n\n**How to Use This**\nIn modern professional or creative settings, this mindset can be applied by focusing on decentralizing decision-making processes within your organization. Instead of advocating for a minimalist approach, consider empowering teams or individuals to take ownership of their work and decisions, thereby reclaiming agency and reducing the perceived \"gobbling up\" of autonomy by centralized authority.",{"id":90,"quote_text":91,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":92,"source":93,"quote_tag":94,"commentary":9},2042228,"There is a growing sense among Americans outside the Beltway that while President Obama may be a good talker, he is a lousy manager.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[95],{"id":96,"tag":97},5029107,{"id":98,"tag_name":99},25502,"among",{"id":101,"quote_text":102,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":103,"source":104,"quote_tag":105,"commentary":9},2042225,"In the real world, words don't automatically translate into deeds.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":107,"quote_text":108,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":109,"source":110,"quote_tag":111,"commentary":9},2042222,"In foreign policy, the only thing worse than not doing something is doing something that fails or makes the situation worse.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[112],{"id":113,"tag":114},5029103,{"id":115,"tag_name":116},47777,"fails",{"currentPage":118,"totalPages":17,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":119},1,10]