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How to you interpret this Churchill quote?



 
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How to you interpret this Churchill quote? #1 (permalink) Tue Mar 16, 2010 14:11 pm   How to you interpret this Churchill quote?		  
Hi, how do you interpret the following quote by Winston Churchill?

Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room.

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How to you interpret this Churchill quote? #2 (permalink) Tue Mar 16, 2010 14:56 pm   How to you interpret this Churchill quote?		  
a) Never be side-tracked with silly things when there is potential harm lurking.

b) Refrain from squabbling when Hitler is on your doorstep.
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How to you interpret this Churchill quote? #3 (permalink) Tue Mar 16, 2010 15:02 pm   How to you interpret this Churchill quote?		  
Hi Ralf, thanks a lot for your swift response. Can you please tell me more about the connection between a monkey and an organ grinder?

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How to you interpret this Churchill quote? #4 (permalink) Tue Mar 16, 2010 15:24 pm   How to you interpret this Churchill quote?		  
Torsten wrote:
Hi Ralf, thanks a lot for your swift response. Can you please tell me more about the connection between a monkey and an organ grinder?


Hi Torsten
The Monkey and the Organ grinder were a staple of our past - were it was common for a man to wind a big mechanical organ which would then produce music. It was also common for a Monkey to be tethered to to Organ and it would then "Perform" for people (Some would call it dancing)

The Monkey and Organ grinder are used a lot in idioms - ie "he's only the monkey but Sam is the organ grinder". (The monkey is controlled by the organ grinder.)

btw as an Irishman I feel it my duty to add that Winston Churchill gassed more Kurds than Saddam Hussein


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How to you interpret this Churchill quote? #5 (permalink) Tue Mar 16, 2010 19:49 pm   How to you interpret this Churchill quote?		  
Torsten wrote:
Hi, how do you interpret the following quote by Winston Churchill?

Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room.

Never hold discussions with Erich Honecker when Leonid Brezhnev is in the room.
Never question a lower mafia toady when the mafia capo is in the room.
Never question a murder witness when the murderer is in the room.
Never interview an abused child when his abusive parent is in the room.
Never interview a rape victim when the rapist is in the room.

In other words, if someone is under the power of someone else, and can be manipulated or threatened by him, don't discuss anything with him when the person who controls him is there.
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