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.
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The legacy of Democrats and Republicans approaches: Libertarianism by bankruptcy.
The legacy of Democrats and Republicans approaches: Libertarianism by bankruptcy.
Individuality is the aim of political liberty. By leaving the citizen as much freedom of action and of being as read more
Individuality is the aim of political liberty. By leaving the citizen as much freedom of action and of being as comports with order and the rights of others, the institutions render him truly a freeman. He is left to pursue his means of happiness in his own manner.
We vote too much. We deliberate too little. We have brought within the scope of the federal jurisdiction a vast read more
We vote too much. We deliberate too little. We have brought within the scope of the federal jurisdiction a vast number of subjects that do not belong here, but are nevertheless here. What we need to do is to stop passing laws. We have enough laws now to govern the world for the next ten thousand years.
Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because read more
There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.
Property rights are not the rights of property; they are the rights of humans with regard to property. They are read more
Property rights are not the rights of property; they are the rights of humans with regard to property. They are a particular kind of human right.
Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant read more
Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant part in the human tragedy, compared to the numbers massacred in unselfish loyalty to one's tribe, nation, dynasty, church, or political ideology, ad majorem gloriam dei. The emphasis is on unselfish. Excepting a small minority of mercenary or sadistic disposition, wars are not fought for personal gain, but out of loyalty and devotion to king, country or cause. Homicide committed for personal reasons is a statistical rarity in all cultures, including our own. Homicide for unselfish reasons, at the risk of one's own life, is the dominant phenomenon of history.
In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith.
In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith.
The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.
The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.
