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“they propound the first principle of totalitarianism: that the State is competent to do all things and is limited in what it actually does only by the will of those who control the State. It is clear that this view is in direct conflict with the Constitution which is an instrument, above all, for limiting the functions of government, and which is as binding today as when it was written.”
― Conscience of a Conservative
― Conscience of a Conservative
“Throughout history, government has proved to be the chief instrument for thwarting man’s liberty. Government represents power in the hands of some men to control and regulate the lives of other men. And power, as Lord Acton said, corrupts men. “Absolute power,” he added, “corrupts absolutely.”
― Conscience of a Conservative
― Conscience of a Conservative
“the Conservative also recognizes that the political power on which order is based is a self-aggrandizing force; that its appetite grows with eating. He knows that the utmost vigilance and care are required to keep political power within its proper bounds.”
― Conscience of a Conservative
― Conscience of a Conservative
“But the framers were not visionaries. They knew that rules of government, however brilliantly calculated to cope with the imperfect nature of man, however carefully designed to avoid the pitfalls of power, would be no match for men who were determined to disregard them.”
― Conscience of a Conservative
― Conscience of a Conservative
“The legitimate functions of government are actually conducive to freedom. Maintaining internal order, keeping foreign foes at bay, administering justice, removing obstacles to the free interchange of goods—the exercise of these powers makes it possible for men to follow their chosen pursuits with maximum freedom. But note that the very instrument by which these desirable ends are achieved can be the instrument for achieving undesirable ends—that government can, instead of extending freedom, restrict freedom.”
― Conscience of a Conservative
― Conscience of a Conservative
Jim’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Jim’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
874 books
|
610 friends
1,026 books
|
102 friends
654 books
|
182 friends
936 books
|
382 friends
440 books
|
162 friends
1,456 books
|
172 friends
1,206 books
|
268 friends
2,621 books
|
267 friends
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