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    Except in the sacred texts of democracy and in the incantations of orators, we hardly take the trouble to pretend that the rule of the majority is not at bottom a rule of force. What other virtue can there be in fifty-one percent except the brute fact that fifty-one is more than forty-nine? The rule of fifty-one per cent is a convenience, it is for certain matters a satisfactory political device, it is for others the lesser of two evils, and for others it is acceptable because we do not know any less troublesome method of obtaining a political decision. But it may easily become an absurd tyranny if we regard it worshipfully, as though it were more than a political device. We have lost all sense of its true meaning when we imagine that the opinion of fifty-one per cent is in some high fashion the true opinion of the whole hundred per cent, or indulge in the sophistry that the rule of a majority is based upon the ultimate equality of man.

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  14  /  14  

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.

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  3  /  19  

If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war.

If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be any war.

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  29  /  22  

The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and read more

The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population -- the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it's the fools, no matter where you go in this world, it's the fools that form the overwhelming majority.

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  23  /  22  

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

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  34  /  52  

If the United States of America or Britain is having elections, they don't ask for observers from Africa or from read more

If the United States of America or Britain is having elections, they don't ask for observers from Africa or from Asia. But when we have elections, they want observers.

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  8  /  14  

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in read more

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.

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  17  /  19  

Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.

Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.

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  13  /  35  

I was recently on a tour of Latin America,and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin read more

I was recently on a tour of Latin America,and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.

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I shall return.

I shall return.

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