Ambrose Bierce Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"Vote: The instrument and symbol of a free man's power
to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country."

by:	Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) American Civil War soldier, humorist, writer
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Categories:	Collectivist, Democracy, Election, Humor, Responsibility, Vote
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Reader comments about this quote:

kinda funny, I like it -- Mike, Norwalk 2
Very accurate concerning those who voted for our last big winner! -- cal, lewisville, tx 5
Interesting selection of quotes today. Card's and Bierce's are unfortunate in that they blamed our exercising our right to vote for the results of elections. Were they suggesting that another method of selection would be an improvement? Rogers was more on target. When our elections bring ruin it says more about our candidates and the voter's way of keeping informed than it does about our right to vote. -- A.WOODS, Gloucester 1
Democracy does not work and it never has. That's why voting is a foolish act, its part of the overall blunder. We need an "Administration of professional Managers" not a "Government". People who can be held accountable and fired, not politicians who can lie, cheat and steal with zero accountibility. We need a "Republic" not a "Democracy". You know...like it says in the Constitution... -- J Carlton, Calgary 5
Yeah I feel sorry for the fools every time I see a McCain/Palin sign. Now John is okay I like him but how he ever picked and how any non-fool free man could vote for Palin is a total mystery. Carlton the Constitution says nothing about an Administration of Professional Managers but everything about electing reprsentatives. You know nothing about the Constitution. -- Waffler, Smith 1 6
Waff, the "mystery" is how anyone could possibly make any sense out of the gibberish that you write. -- jim k, austin 4
Waffler, you're right. Managers rather than corrupt self serving politicians is my idea. The Constitution says nothing about hiring managers. It "does" say that America was to be a Republic of limited Government....so I guess you know "everything" about the Constitution and we're all supposed to be communist serf's right? BTW I have copies of the Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights on my office wall. And yes, I've read them. -- J Carlton, Calgary 5
We must maintain the illusion that the vote matters -- as soon as it is taken away we know we are doomed. The problem isn't the vote, it is the idea that we are giving someone power over us, that we need someone to tell us what to do, and that we have to do whatever the elected says. It is a human tendency and leads directly to servitude. Humans are animals, and like animals, they can be conditioned, trained, and domesticated. Carlton is right on. -- E Archer, NYC 4
Well said J Carlton (x2) and E Archer. I agree that for many Americans, if not most, voting is indeed a foolish act. For some of us, however, it is not. -- A.WOODS, Gloucester 5
The voter must understand that he is a voter not a dictator. Some on this site occasionally appear to want to be dictators and not voters. Being a voter means to be respectful of the vote and of others opinions. -- Waffler, Smith 1 1
I have involved my self in changing the way we govern our country. So far people have not got it right for politicians or the politicians have got it right for the people. -- Zahid, Male City 1
Spoken by an agnostic, who fought on the wrong side of the war ! As far as voting goes, we see today, the results of foolish votes, and those who voted their conscience for good and the sake of our country. It is time to get to work, stop creating dependent children, whose worth is of little help around the farm. Reality and gravity take hold of society, then a shift in conscience. -- Ronw13, Oregon 1
I remember a sign that I saw, " Don't vote, it just encourages the bastards." -- Jim K, Austin 3
Waffler, representatives? What are those elected individuals supposed to represent? What do you and each / every, any /all individual sovereigns have in common that can be represented? Representation can't go to the separate and distinct corporeal person — each person is different with different needs. Again, what is the same that can be represented? The answer; rights and liberty at "the laws of nature and of nature's God" (Declaration of Independence). Each / every, any / all individuals have the same rights and liberty before the law. In the de jure States united, sovereigns are to hire servants through a democratic process (NOT democracy) to represent their rights and liberty. A democracy does not recognize individual rights or liberty at law; a democracy only recognizes what it perceives as majority of corporeal opinion to create law. -- Mike, Norwalk 1

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