Demosthenes Quote

"There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust."

by:	Demosthenes (384-322 BC) Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens
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Categories:	Congress, Democracy, Government, Responsibility, Security, Trust, Usurpation
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Most of our representatives are corrupt, so I distrust them all.  -- Joe, Rochester, MI
-- Anonymous
I trust our government to screw us at every opportunity and then ask us to pay for it.  -- jim k, Austin, Tx
What makes me distrust them the most...I mean besides all the obvious corruption, theft, graft, cronyism, lies and malevolence...is their urge to know where all of our guns are and their seeming need to control our ability to defend ourselves as intended in our Constitution.  -- J Carlton, Calgary
All above have shown their true colors finally. While Jim and J generally eschew democracy and Democrats they have shown themselves to be at least true to the democratic ideal of distrust and power to the little guy and the thus the power of voting and majority rule over and against elites and tyrannts and ruling minorities.  -- Waffler, Smith
My true colors Waffler are beyond your narrow scope. I give Zero points to Democracy as it is merely mob rule in a cheap suit. Individual Sovereignty in a Free Republic as prescribed in the Constitution is the basis of all of my beliefs in Government and its purpose.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
O yes! O yes!  -- RBESRQ
Read the quote J! Distrust is a much greater safe guard against tyrannts in a democracy than in any other form of government is what thid Greek is saying. In democracy the individual can act via his vote. How do we channel our distrust if we have no vote as in some kinds of republics? Democracy is our safe guard for in it and through it we can channel our distrust.  -- Waffler, Smith
Waffler, you're an ignorant idiot. The individual, by vote or otherwise has no part of a democracy. A democracy is the mob's might makes right. Loathing and distrust are synonymous with a freeman's relationship to democracy. A representative republic, where the government serves as a dutiful employee, representing the individual sovereign's unalienable rights, natural law, and justice. The sovereign, in the representative republic (non-democracy), must continually distrust his servants to keep them in check.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
Thanks Mike. As I said, it's way over Waffler's head. Our votes are meaningless to any actionable discourse as our Representatives simply do not represent us. And the poor man has "No Clue" as to the intention of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, but does seem to have absorbed his share of Marx and Lenin.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      1
Take nothing on faith -- especially politicians. "Bind them with the chains of the Constitution," said Jefferson. We are not expected to 'trust' authorities who are but merely other individuals working under the authorization granted by the people. Whenever they act outside the bounds set by Law, they are in violation of their office and should be prosecuted. One of the flaws of the Constitution is to put the Congress in charge of itself -- we have no real way to prevent unconstitutional bills from even being put to vote. The 'commerce clause' is apparently the only so-called 'authorization' that the current Congress can ever point to for ANY of the legislation they have put forward in recent decades. The government MUST be kept in its box, chained to the Constitution -- we do not trust them, that is why there is LAW to limit their power in public office.  -- E Archer, NYC      1
Liberty is in great danger, believe it folks, its true, and you wonder why so many dont care, because they know not history, they know not the truth, they give up all, they are sheep, the last of the free men post here, I will die free at least.  -- anon, anon
What is the difference Mike between a "sovereign" and an "individual" in your lexicon? How do individual sovereigns express their distrust for the founding fathers and for the Constitution or is this verboten in your twisted mentality?  -- Waffler, Smith
An Individual is a sovereign, and a sovereign is an individual Waffler. Unlike a "Person" or Taxpayer" which are very different things in law. You should start doing your own homework instead of just banging your little statist drum.  -- J Carlton, Calgary
The man is brilliant. It doesn't have to take his words to convince me that I don't trust the leaders of this country.  -- Johann Hollar, Saint Paul, MN
"In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." (George Orwell) I am thankfully NOT a *Sheeple* and will have my weapon at hand IF anyone, government or thief poses a threat to me. I am proud to be a Patriot and will defend myself to my death, if need be. L.P. Kirkland, WA  -- L.P., Kirkland
Waffler, J Carlton answered most of your query. Further, the representative republic established by those founding fathers created a system whereby each individual was recognized by his sovereign status. All hirelings (government) being in his service were to administer such sovereign's unalienable rights, natural law, and justice. I would guess there are as many ways to express distrust for the founding fathers as there are sovereigns (that is an unalienable right). You have often expressed your trust in / for despotism, tyranny, and the criminal activities of the statist theocracy that infests this land; AND, distrust in / for freedom, liberty, unalienable rights, natural law, justice, and the founding fathers that established a system that was at harmony with such. So Waffler, you are a living answer to your own question.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
Waffler, by the way, if you were in a full and complete democracy, you would have only been allowed to ask such a question if the organic hegemony (the in power phantasm that determines what the mob wants, needs or, was in the mob's best interest), would have allowed you to personally do so (as part of the majority's perceived dictum).  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
J I don't understand your insertion of the "person/ taxpayer" dichotomy. Are you trying to open a new line of discussion.  -- Waffler, Smith
J Carlton, I love your line about democracy being mob rule in a cheap suit. I plan to put it on the wall next to my computer along with other good quotes. Thanks.  -- jim k, Austin, Tx
At first, as labor, then labor to skill, then skill to leadership followed by example. As foreman, to project manager, to superintendent, then owner of said business. Never at any time was sound leadership put to a vote !! Therein creeps tyranny to overthrow ! Our Constitution and Declaration are the most sound words of Leadership on the planet !! To be followed by all seekers of True Liberty ! Semper fi and Amen !! I like it to, Jim :), Very good comments by most ! As with Waffler, vanity speaks without knowledge !!  -- Ronw13, Yachats Or
-- A.WOODS, Gloucester
Ridiculous, you begin by gaining trust in yourself and steadily spread this special human identifiable quality throughout the species.  In time, you will find that trust in humanity.  -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

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