“Power to the People” quotes from Yes, Prime Minister

Sir Humphrey

Bernard, if the right people don’t have power, do you know what happens? The wrong people get it: politicians, councillors, ordinary voters!

Bernard

But aren’t they supposed to, in a democracy?

Sir Humphrey

This is a British democracy, Bernard!

Sir Humphrey

To put it simply, Prime Minister, certain informal discussions took place involving a full and frank exchange of views out of which there arose a series of proposals, which on examination proved to indicate certain promising lines of inquiry, which, when pursued, lead to the realization that the alternative courses of action might, in fact, in certain circumstances, be susceptible of discreet modification, leading to a reappraisal of the original areas of difference and pointing the way to encouraging possibilities of compromise and cooperation, which, if bilaterally implemented with appropriate give and take on both sides might, if the climate were right, have a reasonable probability at the end of the day of leading, rightly or wrongly, to a mutually satisfactory resolution.

Hacker

What the hell are you talking about?

Sir Humphrey

We did a deal.

It's the old logical fallacy: "all cats have fours legs, my dog has four legs...

Sir Humphrey

...therefore my dog is a cat."

He's suffering from politician's logic.

Sir Humphrey

"Something must be done, this is something, therefore we must do it."

But doing the wrong thing is worse than doing nothing.

Sir Humphrey

Doing anything is worse than doing nothing.