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Government Quotes

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Government Quotes

“If these precedents are to stand unimpeached, and to provide sanctions for the continued conduct of America affairs-the Constitution may be nullified by the President and officers who have taken the oath and are under moral obligation to uphold it....they may substitute personal and arbitrary government-the first principle of the totalitarian system against which it has been alleged that World War II was waged-while giving lip service to the principle of constitutional government.”

“A recent poll showed that nearly half the American public believes that the government should redistribute wealth. That so many people are so willing to blithely put such an enormous and dangerous arbitrary power in the hands of politicians-\-\risking their own freedom, in hopes of getting what someone else has-\-\is a painful sign of how far many citizens and voters fall short of what is needed to preserve a democratic republic”

“I am distinctly opposed to visibly arrogant and arbitrary extremes of government--but this is simply because I wish the safety of an artistic and intellectual civilisation to be secure, not because I have any sympathy with the coarse-grained herd who would menace the civilisation if not placated by sops.”

Ifs Government Wish Intellectual Safety Extremes Secure Artistic Arrogant Arbitrary Herds Civilisation Menace Coarse

Book:Against Religion: The Atheist Writings of H.P. Lovecraft

Source: Against Religion: The Atheist Writings of H.P. Lovecraft

“To the American people of 1789, their nation promised a new way of life: each individual a free man; each having the right to seek his own happiness; a republican form of government in which the people would be sovereign; and no arbitrary power over people's lives. Less than two hundred years later, almost every aspect of the dream has been lost.”

Source: The Greening of America

“In times of political confusion, and under an arbitrary government, many will prefer to keep their capital inactive, concealed, and unproductive, either of profit or gratification, rather than run the risk of its display. This latter evil is never felt under a good government.”

Government Running Political Evil Felt Risk Profit Confusion Latter Display Arbitrary Gratification Concealed Unproductive

Book:A Treatise on Political Economy; Or, The Production, Distribution, and Consumption of Wealth

Source: A Treatise on Political Economy; Or, The Production, Distribution, and Consumption of Wealth

“I am a mortal enemy to arbitrary government and unlimited power.”

Government Politics Enemy Mortals Unlimited Arbitrary Encroachment Unlimited Power Mortal Enemies

Book:The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: 1706-1757

Source: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: 1706-1757

“If we set out with... a scrupulous regard to the Constitution, the government will acquire a spirit and a tone productive of permanent blessings to the community. If on the contrary,... the Constitution is slighted, or explained away, upon every frivolous pretext, the future of government will be feeble, distracted and arbitrary. The rights of the subjects will be the sport of every party vicissitude. There will be no settled rule of conduct, but everything will fluctuate with the alternate prevalency of contending factions.”

“Wise men wrote the Constitution, but clever judges have been destroying it, bit by bit, turning it into an instrument of arbitrary judicial power, instead of a limitation on all government power.”

Men Has Beens Government Bits Wise Judging Constitution Instruments Clever Limitation Destroying Arbitrary Judicial Judicial Power

Author:Thomas Sowell