Thomas Babington Macaulay Quote 

"Nothing is so galling to a people not broken in from birth
as a paternal, or, in other words, a meddling government, a government
which tells them what to read, and say, and eat, and drink and wear."

by:
Thomas Babington Macaulay
(1800-1859) [Lord Macaulay] 1st Baron Macaulay, British historian
Source:
"Southey's Colloquies on Society" par. SC.69
Categories:
 
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Reader comments about this quote:
Was he never in the British foreign service? What would he say about today's commercial community and their promotion specialists? And today there are even more galling tendencies.
 -- David L Rosenthal 		 
I love my paternal government. They will force my children to pay and take care of me, like I was forced to pay for and take care of my retired, lazy, and disabled family. I live by the Socialist's Golden Rule: It's okay to steal from your kids, so long as you were robbed by your parents before. Right?
 -- Logan, Memphis, TN		 
Might makes right, Logan. hahaha
 -- Joe, Rochester, MI		 
Actually, there are far worse alternatives, like the government which does the above to one group, while granting special favors to another more privledged group... ya' know, like King George is doing to us now...
 -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US		 
I like the "not broken in from birth" part. Actually, it's a creeping thing. We are more "broken in from birth" than our parents were, and our children will be more so than we are. The things which gall us now will be standard fare for our children, and so on, and so on. Makes you wonder where it will all end up.
 -- Mike, Mount Holly, NC		 
Once made comfortable with, dependent on, and/or fearful of losing the dole from the government's allowed box, it is hard to replace the tyrannt's/robber's booty (or otherwise slave's mindset) for the tangible truths of liberty's labors.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
It doesn't matter that there are worse alternatives to our paternal government. It's like forcing someone to choose between drinking skunk juice or munchin' down on a rotting corpse, after it's been regurgitated by a dog. Sure, after we're forced to munch down the regurgitated canine espresso, we might say, "Actually, there are far worse alternatives" like the skunk juice... But is that really the point? I would rather have my freedom of choice, liberty of action, and my accountability in the beginning that would have kept me away from ever actually having to make the choice between the two-- or at least be given a third option to opt out entirely.
 -- Logan, Memphis, TN		 
I do respect Macaulay's principles of abolition and anti-bigotry, but I have never experienced a paternal and meddling government telling me "what to read and say, and eat, and drink and wear", so I don't know if mine suddenly did that it would gall me more than one that destroys our standing and respect in the world. I don't think so. We don't get co-operation from other nations anymore, we get defiance. I happen to be more concerned with what happens to the country than to my personal life, as eventually, that will be my personal life.
 -- Jack, Green, OH		 
Jack, as to what to read, I guess you haven't been around a public school or newspaper in a long long time. Journalists don't report on truth or liberty, they give us governmental propaganda and feel good warm and fuzzies. As to eat or drink, I guess you like the Fluoride, accumulating as a poison in your system, the limited access to medication etc. etc. Otherwise, I guess you don't count the permission you have to get to drive your car. Soon you'll have to have a national ID before you can travel intra/inter-state, buy or sell; AND because the encroaching totalitarianism is rapidly escalating - - -
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
That includes telling people what they may NOT read, say, eat, drink, and wear -- the list is quite lengthy and the punishments severe.
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
How about when your Government tells you to go to war under false pretences? Keep fighting your war you will never win.
 -- Gregoroff, Penticton B.C. Canada		 
I love the irony of a Gregoroff, a Canadian ex-patriot Soviet tovarisc telling Americans about government.
 -- David L. Rosenthal		 
Tells you just how far we've come, doesn't it? Even the Canadians are saying we're screwed up. = )
 -- Logan, Memphis, TN		 
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