“Liberty, next to religion has been the motive of good deeds and the common pretext of crime, from the sowing of the seed at Athens, 2,460 years ago, until the ripened harvest was gathered by men of our race. It is the delicate fruit of a mature civilization; and scarcely a century has passed since nations, that knew the meaning of the term, resolved to be free. In every age its progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food.” MenYearsHas BeensAgeNextStrongNationsTermNaturalPoorCommonRaceLibertyEnemyProgressCenturyCrimeIgnoranceCivilizationYears AgoFruitDeedsSeedsLustEaseMotiveMatureDelicateSuperstitionsHarvestConquestGood DeedsCravingPoor ManPretextStrong ManAthensSowingNatural Enemies Author:Lord Acton
“What we must remember, however, is that preservation of liberties does not depend on motives. A suppression of liberty has the same effect whether the suppressor be a reformer or an outlaw. The only protection against misguided zeal is constant alertness to infractions of the guarantees of liberty contained in our Constitution. Each surrender of liberty to the demands of the moment makes easier another, larger surrender. . .” DoeMomentsRememberLibertyEffectsDependsEasierDemandConstitutionConstantProtectionSurrenderMotiveGuaranteesPreservationZealSuppressionOutlawMisguidedReformersAlertness Author:William O. Douglas
“The Liberty of the press consists in the right to publish with impunity truth with good motives for justifiable ends, though reflecting on government, magistracy, or individuals.” EndsGovernmentIndividualLibertyPressesMotivePublishReflectingImpunity Book:The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Political essays [etc., 1792-1804] Contents. Index Source: The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Political essays [etc., 1792-1804] Contents. Index
“I charge [my sons] never to let the motives of private interest or ambition to influence them to betray, nor the terrors of poverty and disgrace, or the fear of danger or of death deter them from asserting the liberty of their country, and endeavoring to transmit to their posterity those sacred rights to which themselves were born” CountryInterestBornLibertyPovertyRightsInfluenceDangerSonAmbitionSacredTerrorMotiveMy SonBetrayPosterityDisgraceTransmit Author:George Mason
“This going on and on about how terrible a carbon-based economy is, these people are full of crap. They don't know what they're talking about. Their motives are not necessarily good just because they say they are being good. It's peace, love, and understanding. To which I can just say, "Shut up." Human liberty, rule of law, and free markets fix this stuff. It isn't necessary to go around being the Mia Farrow of the ecosphere.” PeopleKnowsHumansI CanLawStuffUnderstandingTalkingLibertyEconomyTerribleBe GoodMotiveCrapShut UpCarbonFree MarketRule Of LawPeace LoveMia Author:P. J. O'Rourke