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Famous Quotes about Liberty
 

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When in doubt, tell the truth.
-- Mark Twain
 
Man is the only animal that blushes -- or needs to.
-- Mark Twain
 
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.
-- Mark Twain
 
Often the less there is to justify a traditional custom the harder it is to get rid of it.
-- Mark Twain
 
It is our nature to conform; it is a force which not many people can successfully resist. What is its seat? The inborn requirement of self-approval.
-- Mark Twain
 
I reverently believe that the maker who made us all makes everything in New England, but the weather. I don't know who makes that, but I think it must be raw apprentices in the weather-clerks factory who experiment and learn how, in New England, for board and clothes, and then are promoted to make weather for countries that require a good article, and will take their custom elsewhere if they don't get it.
-- Mark Twain
 
The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
-- Mark Twain
 
[N]o country can be well governed unless its citizens as a body keep religiously before their minds that they are the guardians of the law and that the law officers are only the machinery for its execution, nothing more.
-- Mark Twain
 
Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
-- Mark Twain
 
It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.
-- Mark Twain
 
God made the Idiot for practice, and then He made the School Board.
-- Mark Twain
 
If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.
-- Mark Twain
 
Truth is the most valuable thing we have, so I try to conserve it.
-- Mark Twain
 
I am different from Washington; I have a higher, grander standard of principle. Washington could not lie. I can lie, but I won't.
-- Mark Twain
 
As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it?
-- William Marcy Tweed
 
I don't care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating.
-- William Marcy Tweed
 
According to the Taranto Principle, the press's failure to hold left-wingers accountable for bad behavior merely encourages the left's bad behavior to the point that its candidates are repellent to ordinary Americans.
-- R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
 
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess of the public treasury. From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
-- Sir Alex Fraser Tytler (Questionable)
 
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complaceny to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage.
-- Sir Alex Fraser Tytler (Questionable)
 
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess of the public treasury. From that time on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the results that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.... The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from great courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again to bondage.
-- Sir Alex Fraser Tytler (Questionable)
 
When the leader is morally weak and his discipline not strict, when his instructions and guidance are not enlightened, when there are no consistent rules, neighboring rulers will take advantage of this.
-- Sun Tzu
 
In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. Only one who knows the disastrous effects of a long war can realize the supreme importance of rapidity in bringing it to a close.
-- Sun Tzu
 
Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and justice and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means they make their governments invincible.
-- Sun Tzu
 
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
-- Sun Tzu
 
All warfare is based on deception. There is no place where espionage is not used. Offer the enemy bait to lure him.
-- Sun Tzu
 
We have, I fear, confused power with greatness.
-- Stewart L. Udall
 
[The problem is]...small arms are spreading throughout society with little documentation, since they are frequently bought from private individuals.
-- UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
 
The skeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches, as opposed to him who asserts and thinks he has found.
-- Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo
 
[The Clinton Administration] may find it useful to invoke the commitments made here [in the UN] to Americans as a lever to persuade the gun lobby.
-- Unidentified diplomat
 
I solemnly affirm to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience ... in the interest of the United Nations ... and not to seek or accept instructions ... from any government or other authority external to the organization...
-- United Nations' Loyalty Oath
 
The age of nations must end... The governments of the nations have decided to order their separate sovereignties into one government to which they surrender their arms.
-- United Nations' World Constitution (False)
 
Everyone has the right…to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.
-- United Nations
 
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
-- United Nations
 
No state shall emit bills of credit, make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts, coin money...
-- United States Constitution
 
No State shall... coin money; emit bills of credit; make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts...
-- United States Constitution
 
... [the 16th Amendment] conferred no new power of taxation... [and]... prohibited the ... power of income taxation possessed by Congress from the beginning from being taken out of the category of indirect taxation to which it inherently belonged...
-- United States Supreme Court
 
The Constitution is a written instrument. As such it's meaning does not alter. That which it meant when adopted, it means now.
-- United States Supreme Court
 
...the intent of the lawmaker is to be found in the language that he has used.
-- United States Supreme Court
 
To lay with one hand the power of the government on the property of the citizen, and with the other to bestow it upon favored individuals to aid private enterprises and build up private fortunes, is nonetheless a robbery because it is done under the forms of law and is called taxation. This is not legislation. It is a decree under legislative forms.
-- United States Supreme Court
 
Because of what appears to be a lawful command on the surface, many Citizens, because of their respect for what appears to be law, are cunningly coerced into waiving their rights due to ignorance.
-- United States Supreme Court
 
Our tax system is based upon voluntary assessment and payment, not upon distraint.
-- United States Supreme Court
 
The Constitution prohibits any direct tax, unless in proportion to numbers as ascertained by the census..... [and] ... prohibits Congress from laying a direct tax on the revenue from property of the citizen without regard to state lines...
-- United States Supreme Court
 
... bank records are not the depositor's private papers and having given the information to the bank, the depositor has no legitimate expectation of continued privacy... Records of an individual's accounts with banks are not the individual's private papers protected against compulsory production by the 4th Amendment, but instead are the business records of the banks.
-- United States Supreme Court
 
It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of the liberties ... which makes the defense of the Nation worthwhile.
-- United States v. Robel
 
Do not mistake for conspiracy and intrigue what can best be explained by stupidity and incompetence.
-- Unknown
 
The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The WILLINGNESS to learn is a choice.
-- Unknown
 
Letter to the President of the United States from an American Indian: 'Be careful with your immigration laws. We were careless with ours.'
-- Unknown
 
The slow man with integrity will ultimately catch the swift one who has none.
-- Unknown
 
The worst penalties are always imposed on those seeking to help the oppressed.
-- Unknown
 
Though most of the muck-rakers were moderate in temper and aim, a few of them were Socialists. Upton Sinclair ran unsuccessfully for office several times as a Socialist, and he nearly was elected governor of California in 1934, when he managed to win the Democratic nomination. Other Socialist muck-rakers include Charles Edward Russell, who ran for mayor of NYC on the Socialist ticket in 1913, and Gustavus Myers.
-- Unknown
 
There's a little truth to every 'just kidding'.
-- Unknown
 
Dawn: The time when men of reason go to bed. Certain old men prefer to rise at about that time, taking a cold bath and a long walk with an empty stomach, and otherwise mortifying the flesh. They then point with pride to these practices as the cause of their sturdy health and ripe years; the truth being that they are hearty and old, not because of their habits, but in spite of them. The reason we find only robust persons doing this thing is that it has killed all the others who have tried it.
-- Unknown
 
War is the tool through which the remaining Constitutional restraints on government and rights of the people will be destroyed. War will be the gateway through which total statism in any of its forms (fascism, socialism, communism) will be imposed upon the United States. They will rally the people’s patriotism, and give the laws Orwellian sounding names like the “Patriot Acts”, and “Freedom Laws” and cries of “America First,” but these acts will be anti-patriotic, anti-freedom, and anti-American. At the core of all these activities will be one purpose -- to impose ever increasing control over the citizens, marching toward total statism. They will suspend due process and Constitutional restrictions proclaiming “extraordinary times” require extraordinary measures. At first they will only be used against a few select atrocious and most heinous individuals with unfamiliar appearance, customs and beliefs. Initially, it will simply be a matter of degree, but the precedent is now set. Extraordinary measures solely for extraordinary individuals, but slowly and then more rapidly the extraordinary will become the ordinary until such measures can apply to anyone. They will deride anyone who opposes these Orwellian acts as dangerously naïve, as pacifists, as isolationists, as unpatriotic, as sympathizing with “the enemy” whoever “the enemy” may be at the time, and as un-American. They will make war with vague, ever changing goals and objectives. They will make war on elusive, obscure enemies by proclaiming wars against “subversives” or “guerillas” or “militias” or “revolutionaries” or “aggressors” or “terrorists” or whatever ambiguous name they can imagine so that the “enemies” will always be elusive, never eliminated or fully defeated. There will always be more “enemies.” War will be perpetual, lasting years or even decades. War will be the final mechanism that destroys America from within; and the people will proudly cheer and defend and support the dismantling of their rights and destruction of their Constitutional Republic, all out of supposed “necessity” to support “the war.”
-- Unknown
 
A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled.
-- Unknown
 
Never risk what you can't afford to lose.
-- Unknown
 
Democracy, by definition, is participatory. Without participation, there is no democracy; that’s why the U.S. doesn’t have one. To participate, one must be educated and interested. There you have it.
-- Unknown
 
On the surface of the world right now there is War and violence and things seem dark. But calmly and quietly, at the same time, Something else is happening underground. An inner revolution is taking place And certain individuals are being called to a higher light. It is a silent revolution. From the inside out. From the ground up. This is a Global operation. A Spiritual Conspiracy. There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet. You won't see us on the TV. You won't read about us in the newspaper. You won't hear about us on the radio. We don't seek any glory. We don't wear any uniform. We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. Most of us work anonymously. We are quietly working behind the scenes In every country and culture of the world Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, In farms and villages, tribes and remote islands. You could pass by one of us on the street And not even notice. We go undercover. We remain behind the scenes. It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit But simply that the work gets done. Occasionally we spot each other in the street. We give a quiet nod and continue on our way. During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs But behind the false storefront at night Is where the real work takes place. Some call us the Conscious Army. We are slowly creating a new world With the power of our minds and hearts. We follow, with passion and joy Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence. We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~ Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~ Websites Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness... We each express ourselves in our own unique ways With our own unique gifts and talents. Be the change you want to see in the world. That is the motto that fills our hearts. We know it is the only way real transformation takes place. We know that quietly and humbly we have the Power of all the oceans combined. Our work is slow and meticulous Like the formation of mountains. It is not even visible at first glance. And yet with it entire tectonic plates Shall be moved in the centuries to come. Love is the new religion of the 21st century. You don't have to be a highly educated person Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it. It comes from the intelligence of the heart Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings. Be the change you want to see in the world. Nobody else can do it for you. We are now recruiting. Perhaps you will join us Or already have. All are welcome. The door is open.
-- Unknown
 
Time and attention are our scarcest commodities - use them wisely.
-- Unknown
 
There are three parties in Washington, D.C. . . . Republican, Democratic and Cocktail.
-- Unknown
 
Most non-Catholics know that the Catholic schools are rendering a greater service to our nation than the public schools in which subversive textbooks have been used, in which Communist-minded teachers have taught, and from whose classrooms Christ and even God Himself are barred.
-- Unknown
 
Integrity is what you do when no one is looking.
-- Unknown
 
Be more aware of your responsibilities than of your rights.
-- Unknown
 
Economic warfare spans political warfare and military warfare and supersedes both, which are merely tools in the hands of those who are the masters of economic systems. The public is systematically misled, almost hypnotically, to believe that no such hidden masters of economic systems actually exist, or could even possibly exist, and that all of the economic strife in the world today is strictly the result of unplanned human incompetence when, in fact, very deliberate economic warfare is being carried out. Populations struggle to find purely political or military solutions to their economic problems, or they are manipulated and duped into giving yet more economic control over to their masters, in the name of general prosperity, because they do not fully understand the real principles of economics and banking. The myth of their non-existence is what protects the hierarchies of the international money cults of the world and allows them to continue their constant rivalries against one another, and to maintain their existence at the dire cost of their subject populations.
-- Unknown
 
Of course you can trust the United States government. Just ask any Indian.
-- Unknown
 
Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.
-- Unknown
 
Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's eyes to improve his vision.
-- Unknown
 
A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits.
-- Unknown
 
The confidence of ignorance will always overcome the indecision of knowledge.
-- Unknown
 
We need a law that will allow a voter to sue a candidate for breach of promise.
-- Unknown
 
A library is an arsenal of liberty.
-- Unknown
 
Any sufficiently advanced bureaucracy is indistinguishable from molasses.
-- Unknown
 
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
-- Unknown
 
If you don't care where you are, then you ain't lost.
-- Unknown
 
If we keep on the way we're going, we're going to wind up where we're headed.
-- Unknown
 
No shade tree? Blame not the sun, but yourself.
-- Unknown
 


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