A Few Pithy Quickies
I've read several of these before, but they bear repeating. This batch is courtesy of my Brother, the Texan.
If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed.These are some of the men who shaped/are shaping the world in which we live. One must hope that there are enough of these men and women to begin to reverse the trend of the past hundred years or so.
If you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. - Mark Twain
Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress.... but then I repeat myself.- Mark Twain
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. - Winston Churchill
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. - George Bernard Shaw
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. - James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. -Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. - P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. - Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. - Ronald Reagan (1986)
I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. - Will Rogers
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! - P. J. O'Rourke
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. - Voltaire (1764)
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! - Pericles (430 B.C.)
No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. - Mark Twain (1866 )
Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. - Unknown
The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. - Ronald Reagan
The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. - Mark Twain
The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress. - Mark Twain
What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. - Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. - Thomas Jefferson
In a philosophical recession.
Warm regards,
Col. Hogan
Stalag California
11 comments:
The government does not, indeed, waylay a man in a lonely place, spring upon him from the roadside, and, holding a pistol to his head, proceed to rifle his pockets. But the robbery is none the less a robbery on that account; and is far more dastardly and shameful.
The highwayman (a robber, for those educated in the last 15-20 yrs.)takes solely upon himself the responsibility, danger, and crime of his own act. He does not pretend that he has any rightful claim to your money, or that he intends to use it for your own benefit. He does not pretend to be anything but a robber. He has not acquired impudence enough to profess to be merely a "protector,"and that he takes men's money against their will, merely to enable him to "protect" those infatuated travellers, who feel perfectly able to protect themselves, or do not appreciate his peculiar system of protection. He is too sensible a man to make such professions as these.
Furthermore, having taken your money, he leaves you, as you wish him to do. He does not persist in following you on the road, against your will; assuming to be your rightful "sovereign," on account of the "protection" he affords you. He does not keep "protecting" you, by commanding you to bow down and serve him: by requiring you to do this, and forbidding you to do that; by robbing you of more money as often as he finds it for his interest or pleasure to do so; and by branding you as a rebel, a traitor, and an enemy to your country, and shooting you down without mercy, if you dispute his authority, or resist his demands.
He is too much of a gentleman to be guilty of such impostures, and insults, and villanies as these. In short, he does not, in addition to robbing you, attempt to make you either his dupe or his slave.
Lysander Spooner
Thanks for posting these timeless gems; and before I forget, thanks for the added comment section wisdom which matches the intent of the article.
Kent,
Spooner was another rare American who deserves to be quoted, and heeded, regularly and often. Thanks for passing this along.
TF,
Just my way of expounding 'pon what I wrote with a bit more that didn't occur to me at the time.
Thank you for the kind words.
Thank you T.F.
Great stuff Colonel. More people need reminded of these much more often.
Col., I got a good smile out of the wry humor of some of these guys. Great little pearls of wisdom that we seem to have completely forgotten the germ of. I especially like these two:
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. - George Bernard Shaw
Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. - James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
I'm sure I can use those somewhere. They'd make a great introduction to a post on the latest outrage from the left.
Aurora,
Yes, and I also like the last one, by T Jefferson--A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
It seems to be particularly apropos in the wake of your elections, not to mention our upcoming one (no matter who wins).
Thanks, BC. We aim to please.
tsk, tsk, not a single quote from the greatest of all, the master of aphorism, the Sage of Baltimore, H.L. Mencken. To wit:
"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under."
For the full cornucopia, visit http://www.io.com/gibbonsb/mencken/megaquotes.html
Warmest,
Kos
Kos,
I'm aware and respectful of Mr Mencken, but I'm not sure if my brother is. I'll have to ask him.
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