Yes. (for anyone else, of course that "of course" was sarcastic) In particular, Winston Churchill noted that the way to succeed in the politics of his time was

Yes. (for anyone else, of course that "of course" was sarcastic) In particular, Winston Churchill noted that the way to succeed in the politics of his time was not to stand there with elbows out, opposing the world directly, but to first (a) align along an axis of mutual benefit, and then (b) push along orthogonal axes to more subtly carve out your own best deal. (as to yc-related responses: it's probably just my cluelessness about yc other than as hosts for this wonderful wainscoting)