“For every action there is an equal and opposite government program”
“To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” is Newton’s third law of motion. “For every action there is an equal and opposite government program” is a jocular anti-proverb that has been printed on gift items, such as posters and mugs. “For every action there is an equal and opposite government program” has been cited in print since at least 1993 and is of unknown authorship.
The “equal and opposite government program” anti-proverb was titled “Main’s Law” by at least 1995 and has been credited to “Bob Wells” since at least 2003. These identifications have not been explained in print.
Wikipedia: Newton’s laws of motion
Newton’s laws of motion are three physical laws that form the basis for classical mechanics. They describe the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion due to those forces.
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Law III: To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction: or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions.
Google Books
Canadian Jersey Breeder
Canadian Jersey Cattle Club
Volume 48
1993
Pg. 50:
For every action there is an equal and opposite government program.
The Archive
34544 unique taglines - The Archive
Jan 23, 1994
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For every action there is an equal and opposite government program.
For every action, there’s a = govt. agency.
Fun_People Archive
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 95 19:16:05 PST
From: Peter Langston
To: Fun_People
Subject: Useless Quotes Vol IV (I - S)
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Main’s Law:
For every action there is an equal and opposite government program.
Google News Archive
13 February 1996, The Sentinel (Rochester, IN), “Considered Comment” by Jack K. Overmyer, pg. 4, col. 4:
Main’s law: For every action there is an equal and opposite government program.
Google Books
Murphy’s Law 2000:
What Else Can Go Wrong in the 21st Century!
By Arthur Bloch
New York, NY: Price Stern Sloan
1999
Pg. 18:
MAIN’S LAW: For every action there is an equal and opposite government program.
2 August 2000, Washington (DC) Post, “Voila! The Funniest T-Shirts of 2000 ” by Bob Levey, pg. C11:
For Every Action, There Is an Equal and Opposite Government Program.
14 April 2001, Altoona (PA) Mirror, “Ask Dr. Peter Gott: Reader shares amusing proverbs,” pg. D4, col. 4:
For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
IPS Community
My Favorite quotations
Bimal Paudel
Posted 27 February 2003 - 11:30 PM
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For every action there is an equal and opposite government program.
- Bob Wells
Google Books
If You Want to Soar With Eagles, Don’t Hang Out With Turkeys:
Gems for Christian Living
By Lois E. Scott
Bloomington, IN: iUniverse
2010
Pg. 92:
For every action there is an equal and opposite government program. — Bob Wells