“Despotic governments do not recognize the precious human component of the state, seeing its citizens only as a faceless, mindless -- and helpless -- mass to be manipulated at will. It is as though people were incidental to a nation rather than its very life-blood.” PeopleHumansStatesGovernmentNationsSeeingBloodCitizensMassTyrantsHelplessComponentsMindlessFaceless Book:Freedom from Fear: And Other Writings Source: Freedom from Fear: And Other Writings
“The tyrant, who in order to hold his power, suppresses every superiority, does away with good men, forbids education and light, controls every movement of the citizens and, keeping them under a perpetual servitude, wants them to grow accustomed to baseness and cowardice, has his spies everywhere to listen to what is said in the meetings, and spreads dissension and calumny among the citizens and impoverishes them, is obliged to make war in order to keep his subjects occupied and impose on them permanent need of a chief.” MenWantNeedsDoeSaidWarLightOrderGrowsSubjectsMovementCitizensMeetingsSpreadChiefsPermanentGood ManTyrantsCowardicePerpetualSuperiorityAccustomedSpyObligedServitudeCalumnyDissensionBaseness Author:Aristotle
“The man who is tenacious of purpose in a rightful cause is not shaken from his firm resolve by the frenzy of his fellow citizens clamoring for what is wrong, or by the tyrant's threatening countenance.” MenPurposeCausesHe ManCitizensFellowsFirmResolveTyrantsThreateningCountenanceFrenzyTenacious Author:Horace
“Republics demanded virtue. Monarchies could rely on coercion and "dazzling splendor" to suppress self-interest or factions; republics relied on the goodness of the people to put aside private interest for public good. The imperatives of virtue attached all sorts of desiderata to the republican citizen: simplicity, frugality, sobriety, simple manners, Christian benevolence, duty to the polity. Republics called on other virtues--spiritedness, courage--to protect the polity from external threats. Tyrants kept standing armies; republics relied on free yeomen, defending their own land.” PeopleSelfChristianInterestSimpleVirtueDemocracyLandDutyCitizensRepublicanProtectGoodnessStandingArmyThreatSimplicityMannersRelyRepublicTyrantsImperativesSelf InterestMonarchyCoercionBenevolenceSplendorSobrietyFactionsDazzlingFrugalityPublic GoodYeoman Author:James Monroe
“Whether you have an abortion, what you put in your own body, with whom you have sex - these are not affairs of the state. A government does not exist to control the citizens. When it does, it is a tyranny, and must be fought. The tree of liberty, Jefferson warned us, must be refreshed with the blood of tyrants and patriots.” DoeStatesBodyGovernmentSexLibertyTreeBloodCitizensAffairTyrannyAbortionTyrantsPatriot Author:Gore Vidal
“Bad men cannot make good citizens.” MenCitizensTyrantsAmerican CitizensBad ManGood CitizenAdherenceAmerican LibertyNigeria IndependenceRecurrence Author:Patrick Henry
“The ideal citizen of a tyrannical state is the man or woman who bows in silent obedience in exchange for the status of a well-cared-for herd animal. Thinking people become the tyrants' worst enemies.” PeopleThinkingMenWellsStatesAnimalEnemyWorstHe ManCitizensIdealsSilentObedienceTyrantsBowsHerdsWorst Enemy Author:Claire Wolfe