Those who see their lives as spoiled and wasted crave equality and fraternity more than they do freedom. If they clamor for freedom, it is but freedom to establish equality and uniformity. The passion for equality is partly a passion for anonymity: to be one thread of the many which make up a tunic; one thread not distinguishable from the others. No one can then point us out, measure us against others and expose our inferiority.
You May Also Like / View all maxioms
In republican governments, men are all equal; equal they are also is despotic governments: in the former, because they are read more
In republican governments, men are all equal; equal they are also is despotic governments: in the former, because they are everything; in the latter, because they are nothing.
Darkness yields to
starlight,
to the light of the rising
sun, and to the
light of the soul.
Darkness yields to
starlight,
to the light of the rising
sun, and to the
light of the soul.
There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.
There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy. [Psalms 64:1].
Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy. [Psalms 64:1].
Bad monetary and fiscal policy, often designed by the IMF, is the real cause of global problems. The only explanation read more
Bad monetary and fiscal policy, often designed by the IMF, is the real cause of global problems. The only explanation for why government leaders continue to follow these policies is that by blaming markets, they avoid blaming themselves.
Against nature and within nature there is no freedom.
Against nature and within nature there is no freedom.
Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid read more
Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and read more
At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical comment than a repressive, so that if comedy is to function in some way as a safety release then it must obviously deal with these taboo areas. This is part of the responsibility we accord our licensed jesters, that nothing be excused the searching light of comedy. If anything can survive the probe of humour it is clearly of value, and conversely all groups who claim immunity from laughter are claiming special privileges which should not be granted.
...democracy can be interpreted to assert not only equality before the law but also essentialistic identity in all respects. This read more
...democracy can be interpreted to assert not only equality before the law but also essentialistic identity in all respects. This is expressed in the claim, "All men are created equal," which is something very different from the statement, "All men have equal rights and are equal before the law." Anyone who believes in the genetic uniqueness of every individual thereby believes in the conclusion, "No two individuals are created equal.".
