H. L. Mencken Quote

"I believe that liberty is the only genuinely valuable thing that men have invented, at least in the field of government, in a thousand years. I believe that it is better to be free than to be not free, even when the former is dangerous and the latter safe. I believe that the finest qualities of man can flourish only in free air -- that progress made under the shadow of the policeman's club is false progress, and of no permanent value. I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave."

by:	H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) American Journalist, Editor, Essayist, Linguist, Lexicographer, and Critic
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Categories:	Government, Liberty, Police, Safety, Slavery, Tyranny
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thoughtful  -- tommy, honolulu      1
Couldn't agree more. Too bad the Administration doesn't.  -- Gloria, Fort Worth TX      2
-- Anonymous
Gloria is right. Everyone supporting our present administration and congress is ignorantly giving up his or her freedom day by day. Too bad so many of us don't read or understand what democracy and freedom are all about.  -- Richard Trice, Fort Worth
American adults have learned to be good slaves. We hand over our retirement finances to government and government kindly enslaves us to the system. We demand to be enslaved when we want government to provide our health care and prescription drugs. Eventually we'll just give our entire earnings to government and government will decide what we need. Go ahead. Sell yourselves into slavery, little by little. Government will tell you to jump, and you'll ask, "How high."  -- Anonymous      1
We are--selling ourself into slavery one little bit at a time.  -- Rachel, Reno, NV      1
Said exceptionally well; — except — for man creating liberty or freedom. Liberty and freedom are not created by man, as they are eternal definitions at nature's law. Compelled compliance, victimless crimes, government licenses, larceny with impunity (2nd plank of the communist manifesto, funny money, etc.), non-recognition of individual sovereignty, perfected allodium, inalienable rights and LIBERTY at nature's law are each enslaving elements antithetical to liberty ! ! !  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
Mencken clarifies that liberty "in the field of government" is the invention he refers to.  Unlike the others in which people are 'governed' by those claiming superiority.  As far as I know, a republican form of government is the only form that respects the liberty of the people, specifically individuals, rather than the power of ruling classes.  -- E Archer, NYC      1

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