Politicians only get to the top because they have no qualifications to detain them at the bottom.

Peter Ustinov (1921-2004) English actor, author, director
(Attributed)

Ustinov apparently used the phrase several times, with slight variations.

  • As quoted above, in International Celebrity Register (1959) [ed. Cleveland Amory]
  • Also appears in Ustinov's article, "Politics and the Arts", The Atlantic, Vol. 218 (1966)
  • "People who reach the top of the tree are only those who haven't got the qualifications to detain them at the bottom." -- Interview with David Frost (1969)
  • "I believe those who rise to the top of the political tree just didn’t have the qualifications to detain them at the bottom." (Source)

 


 
Added on 4-Jul-12 | Last updated 29-Jun-12
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