Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.

Never befriend the oppressed unless you are prepared to take on the oppressor.

There is perhaps no better way of measuring the natural endowment of a soul than by its ability to transmute read more

There is perhaps no better way of measuring the natural endowment of a soul than by its ability to transmute dissatisfaction into a creative impulse. The genuine artist is as much a dissatisfied person as the revolutionary, yet how diametrically opposed are the products each distills from his dissatisfaction.

Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.

Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.

Power tires only those who do not have it.

Power tires only those who do not have it.

To the frustrated, freedom from responsibility is more attractive than freedom from restraint. They are eager to barter their independence read more

To the frustrated, freedom from responsibility is more attractive than freedom from restraint. They are eager to barter their independence for relief from the burdens of willing, deciding and being responsible for inevitable failure. They willingly abdicate the directing of their lives to those who want to plan, command and shoulder all responsibility.

Fifty-one percent of a nation can establish a totalitarian regime, suppress minorities and still remain democratic.

Fifty-one percent of a nation can establish a totalitarian regime, suppress minorities and still remain democratic.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me. But it can keep him from lynching read more

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me. But it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

I wonder how many of the people who profess to believe in the leveling ideas of collectivism and egalitarianism really read more

I wonder how many of the people who profess to believe in the leveling ideas of collectivism and egalitarianism really just believe that they themselves are good for nothing. I mean, how many leftists are animated by a quite reasonable self-loathing? In their hearts they know that they are not going to become scholars or inventors or industrialists or even ordinary good kind people. So they need a way to achieve that smugness for which the left is so justifiably famous. They need a way to achieve self-esteem without merit. Well, there is politics. In an egalitarian world everything will be controlled by politics, and politics requires no merit.

The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and read more

The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population -- the intelligent ones or the fools? I think we can agree it's the fools, no matter where you go in this world, it's the fools that form the overwhelming majority.