"If men use their liberty in such a way as to surrender their
liberty, are they thereafter any the less slaves? If people by
a plebiscite elect a man despot over them, do they remain free
because the despotism was of their own making?"
by:
Herbert Spencer
(1820-1903) British author, economist, philosopher
Date:
1884
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Reader comments about this quote:
When the plebeians consider the majority of their assembly's word 'law', either by direct parole or seal, or by their electorate, the slavery that is democracy is absolute. At the point of that single enabling act, each and every, any and all individual sovereign’s liberty and recognition of inalienable rights is dead.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    The only way to challenge an unconstitutional law is to break it, then defend your rights all the way to the Supreme Court -- a very expensive undertaking. Citizenship must be something more than simply casting a ballot.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    WOW - brilliant - well said Mike
     -- Robert, Sarasota     
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     -- Joe, Rochester, MI      
    Great quote. Makes a good point.
     -- Me Again     
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    To break an unconstitutional law is to commit no crime, but it is possible to challenge such an invalid law by organizing a movement against it. Possible, I said. Lately, not easy. And whoever attempts to do so might break his own mental health.
     -- David L Rosenthal     
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    It has often been said, those that do not vote have no right to criticize. I say, those that vote, even for the lesser of 2 evils, have elected despotic evil and then have little right to say anything against what they choose. Those plebeians that join the election by not voting for evil have even more right to point out the wrongs (the resulting despotism was not of their own making).
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Voting today is a farce - it is so corrupt that it is pointless. All you can do stand behind those with integrity and moral courage while guarding their backs....
     -- Robert, Somewhere in Europe     
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    Mr. Archer, a bill that is voted on by the majority and signed by the executive if it be unconstitutional according to my readings of the founding fathers is NO LAW at all that we as sovereign citizens are bound by.
    You also spoke of fighting for your rights all the way to the Supreme Court but the way it is now with the judiciary branch having become despotic and in collusion of usurpation with the other two branches cannot adequately produce a constitutional remedy for we the people. We currently have radicals in black robes sitting on the High Court.
     -- Mike, Pleasant Hill     
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    At the bottom of our ballots should be "none of the above" so we won't just be selecting the lesser of two evils.
     -- ccal, Lewisville     
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    Mike, Pleasant Hill, you are right. The dilemma is the unconstitutional 'law' is still a law that the police enforce -- even while it is unconstitutional. The last check is the jury in which a unanimous guilty verdict is required in order to convict -- these 12 jurors are also to judge the 'law' as well, if one or more jurors consider the law unconstitutional, the defendant is not guilty.

    The same logic goes for a man imprisoned for violating an unconstitutional law -- is he still a free man? Yes, he is a freeman in prison for an unconstitutional 'crime'. Unfortunately, other than jury nullification (which was a crucial blow to the Prohibition law), we have left it up to the Supreme Court to decide the constitutionality of legislation. So only the most political of cases make it, and the decisions are always straight down party lines in the judiciary -- which has never been more obviously establishment partisan politics than it is today.

    The primary corruption is the mix of flesh and paper in law. Congress can only regulate interstate commerce -- does anybody remember that? SO they can't make laws that the average citizen must follow. It is the combining of common law and commercial law. The combination of which is a massive jurisdiction of people and corporations all subject to the statutes the government churn out year after year. Note, however, that almost every act of congress now is about either taking or distributing money -- specifically all the 'money' Congress can borrow or down-right print.

    State sovereignty and personal responsibility of the citizen are the foundations of American Common Law -- all the rest is just the game of political graft and tyranny in the name of Justice.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Wonderful quote!
     -- Mary - MI     
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    There are multiple paths to slavery. When considering the plebeians’ choice and continued support of compelled compliance, victimless crimes, government licenses, larceny with impunity (2nd plank of the communist manifesto, Social Security, police state confiscations, etc.), “A man is no less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years.” (Lysander Spooner). When the plebeians’ choice is not considered through voter fraud (such is now the case), slavery is involuntarily induced.

     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- Ronw13, ID      
     -- jim k, Austin      
    The bottom line is willing ignorance...we're "too busy".  We the people have allowed socialist/fascist "teachers" and "professors" to infest our schools and colleges and rot the minds of our children. We the people do not bother with questioning or delving into the backgrounds and beliefs of those we elect... Ignorance of our history is a "must".

    Ignorance of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, our Declaration of Independence and just plain laziness and/or "pursuing the American dream" has all but obliterated what was once the most prosperous, opportunity rich, FREE, educated and determined nation of people in the history of the world. America was an experiment, one predicated on the experiences of intelligent and thoughtful men who knew oppression and tyranny...one that was fought for, bled for, and thoughtfully discussed by men well educated with some of the most brilliant minds ever assembled.

    America, land of football, baseball, dancing with the stars, getting the newest car, the biggest house, sending our kids to the most "prestigious" (and far left) universities, ad nauseam.

    We the people are to blame for our own demise because we've paid only lip service or been to busy "pursuing the American dream" that WE have allowed to become a nightmare. But the most important thing we've denied and in fact have all but kicked completely out of our nation is the One Who brought it together in the first place. Samuel Adams put it painfully true when he said "When a nation forgets it's God, tyrants soon forge it's chains."

     -- Denise, Durango     
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