The Democrats will be running the White House, the House and the Senate
soon. Before they make drastic changes, they may want to consider some
interesting quotations on government.
My favorites reveal a general wariness of government — a key principle upon
which our republic was founded:
"A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to
take everything you have."
— Barry Goldwater
"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country — against his
government."
— Edward Abbey
"The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse."
— Edmund Burke
Well, Eddie, you got that right. We just handed our government a blank check
worth billions to bail out our financial institutions. And before we let
Barack Obama "make government cool again," we may want to consider this:
"The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence,
because it's so rare."
— Daniel Patrick Moynihan
"Government is inherently incompetent, and no matter what task it is
assigned, it will do it in the most expensive and inefficient way possible."
— Charley Reese
"Government is an association of men who do violence to the rest of us."
— Leo Tolstoy
Sorry, Leo, but folks often forget how nasty government can be. Right now,
folks are clamoring for our government to do something, anything, to fix our
economic woes — forgetting, of course, that our government is a key
contributor to those woes. Here is where government is really effective:
"The government is good at one thing: It knows how to break your legs, then
hand you a crutch and say, 'See, if it weren't for the government you
wouldn't be able to walk.'"
— Harry Browne
"Government's view of the economy can 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
"Government cannot make man richer, but it can make him poorer."
— Ludwig von Mises
We citizens must be more skeptical about well-meaning politicians. We must
look past their flowery words to understand what they really may be up to:
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to
rule."
— H.L. Mencken
"One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in
this world are to be cured by legislation."
— Thomas Reed
"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support
of Paul."
— George Bernard Shaw
Excellent quote, Georgie. You described the 2008 elections more accurately
than 99 percent of America's journalists — and you've been dead since 1950.
Look, it's long been time that America gets back to the basics. American
citizens must stand up and demand a return to the principles of SMALL
government:
"That government is best which governs the least, because its people
discipline themselves."
— Thomas Jefferson
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the
people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government — lest
it come to dominate our lives and interests."
— Patrick Henry
"Our best protection against bigger government in Washington is better
government in the states."
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
Unfortunately, Dwight, we abandoned that concept some time ago. Unless
Americans wake up and remember the origin of our greatness — it's the people, not
the government — we are poised for the government to expand more, and take
more and control us more.
Humorists understand the ramifications better than anyone:
"The primary function of the government is — and here I am quoting directly
from the U.S. Constitution — 'to spew out paper.'"
— Dave Barry
"The difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every
time Congress meets."
— Will Rogers
"Did you ever notice that when you put the words 'the' and 'IRS' together,
it spells 'THEIRS?'"
— Unknown
