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What is history but the story of how politicians have squandered the blood and treasure of the human race.
What is history but the story of how politicians have squandered the blood and treasure of the human race.
Every device employed to bolster individual freedom must have as its chief purpose the impairment of the absoluteness of power. read more
Every device employed to bolster individual freedom must have as its chief purpose the impairment of the absoluteness of power. The indications are that such an impairment is brought about not by strengthening the individual and pitting him against the possessors of power, but by distributing and diversifying power and pitting one category or unit of power against the other. Where power is one, the defeated individual, however strong and resourceful, can have no refuge and no recourse.
Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom read more
Unless a man has talents to make something of himself, freedom is an irksome burden. Of what avail is freedom to choose if the self be ineffectual? We join a mass movement to escape individual responsibility, or, in the words of the ardent young Nazi, "to be free from freedom.".
All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies.
All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies.
Freedom means freedom from forces and circumstances which would turn man into a thing, which would impose on man the read more
Freedom means freedom from forces and circumstances which would turn man into a thing, which would impose on man the passivity and predictability of matter. By this test, absolute power is the manifestation most inimical to human uniqueness. Absolute power wants to turn people into malleable clay.
Discontent does not invariably create a desire for change. Other factors have to be present before discontent turns into disaffection. read more
Discontent does not invariably create a desire for change. Other factors have to be present before discontent turns into disaffection. One of these is a sense of power.
The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won't take it, but somebody read more
The Vice-Presidency is sort of like the last cookie on the plate. Everybody insists he won't take it, but somebody always does.
Now since man is naturally inclined to avoid pain- and since labor is pain in itself- it follows that men read more
Now since man is naturally inclined to avoid pain- and since labor is pain in itself- it follows that men will resort to plunder whenever plunder is easier than work. History shows this quite clearly. And under these conditions, neither religion nor morality can stop it.When, then, does plunder stop? It stops when it becomes more painful and more dangerous than labor.It is evident, then, that the proper purpose of law is to use the power of its collective force to stop this fatal tendency to plunder instead of to work. All the measures of the law should protect property and punish plunder.
To complain of lack of leadership is, in the field of political affairs, the characteristic attitude of all harbingers of read more
To complain of lack of leadership is, in the field of political affairs, the characteristic attitude of all harbingers of dictatorship.