This case is wholly without merit both factually and legally.
(US District Judge in commenting on the Fox network lawsuit
read more

This case is wholly without merit both factually and legally.
(US District Judge in commenting on the Fox network lawsuit
against Al Franken's book).

[expressing John Locke's view]...whenever anyone threatens any other innocent human in a way that makes manifest an ignorance or disregard read more

[expressing John Locke's view]...whenever anyone threatens any other innocent human in a way that makes manifest an ignorance or disregard of the fundamental equality as regards the right to self-preservation, the creature in human shape who acts in this way is to be treated by any and all other rational humans as a wild, clever, and therefore very dangerous animal, to be destroyed (if necessary) in order to safeguard the rest.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed [and hence clamorous to be led to safety] read more

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed [and hence clamorous to be led to safety] by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

That government is best which governs least.

That government is best which governs least.

Policies are judged by their consequences, but crusades are judged by how good they make the crusaders feel.

Policies are judged by their consequences, but crusades are judged by how good they make the crusaders feel.

The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from
ambush. It will be a slow extinction from read more

The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from
ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference,and
undernourishment.

I deserve respect for the things I did not do.

I deserve respect for the things I did not do.

I have impeached myself by resigning.

I have impeached myself by resigning.

The conception that government should be guided by majority opinion makes sense only if that opinion is independent of government. read more

The conception that government should be guided by majority opinion makes sense only if that opinion is independent of government. The ideal of democracy rests on the belief that the view which will direct government emerges from an independent and spontaneous process. It requires, therefore, the existence of a large sphere independent of majority control in which the opinions of the individuals are formed.