The danger inherent in reform is that the cure may be worse than the disease. Reform is an operation on read more

The danger inherent in reform is that the cure may be worse than the disease. Reform is an operation on the social body; but unlike medical surgeons, reformers are not on guard against unpredictable side effects which may divert the course of reform toward unwanted results. Moreover, quite often the social doctors become part of the disease.

No serious historian of politics would imagine that he had accounted for the protective tariff of the system of bounties read more

No serious historian of politics would imagine that he had accounted for the protective tariff of the system of bounties or subsidies, for the monetary and banking laws, for the state of law in regard to corporate privileges and immunities, for the actual status of property rights, for agricultural or for labor policies, until he had gone behind the general claims and the abstract justifications and had identified the specifically interested groups which promoted the specific law.

All that a good government aims at...is to add no unnecessary and artificial aid to the force of its own read more

All that a good government aims at...is to add no unnecessary and artificial aid to the force of its own unavoidable consequences, and to abstain from fortifying and accumulating social inequality as a means of increasing political inequalities.

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.

Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right; but our country, right or read more

Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.

Ideology has very little to do with "consciousness" -- it is profoundly unconscious.

Ideology has very little to do with "consciousness" -- it is profoundly unconscious.

Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

Fair play with others is primarily the practice of not blaming them for anything that is wrong with us. We read more

Fair play with others is primarily the practice of not blaming them for anything that is wrong with us. We tend to rub our guilty conscience against others the way we wipe dirty fingers on a rag. This is as evil a misuse of others as the practice of exploitation.

All I ask is equal freedom. When it is denied, as it always is, I take it anyhow.

All I ask is equal freedom. When it is denied, as it always is, I take it anyhow.