Alexis de Tocqueville Quote

"After having thus successively taken each member
of the community in its powerful grasp and fashioned him at will,
the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community.
It covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated
rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and
the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd.
The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided;
men seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained
from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence;
it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and
stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than
a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government
is the shepherd."

by:	Alexis de Tocqueville [Alexis Charles Henri Maurice Clerel, le Comte de Tocqueville] (1805-1859) French historian
Source:	Democracy in America, Vol. II (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1899), Chap. 6
Rating:
Categories:	Collectivism, Conformity, Freedom, Government, Law, Oppression, Power, Responsibility, Socialism, Statism, Uniformity, Usurpation, Utopia
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-- David L. Rosenthal
Hmm....The mind IS a terrible thing to waste.  -- Me Again
-- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
Tocqueville's prescience about our present state of government was remarkable! The young Frenchman was extremely observant.  -- A.Jurgensen, Stuart, FL
-- Mike, Norwalk
This is being done through a number of agencies right now. ACORN - DHS - ICE  -- J Carlton, Calgary
Ten stars.  -- Anon
Sounds like those Obamatons who have been Obamatized! Where's the birth certificate?  -- David Ben-Ariel, Toledo
-- David Ben-Ariel, Toledo
A perfect description of government, ours included, and Obama is leading the band.  -- jim k, austin
truth  -- cozmic-glue, cannington
Twaddle, codswallop, humbug,drivel, folderol, balderdash, baloney, and applesauce. How the blind is leading the blind. What's robbing this nation of its freedom is not Medicare, or any welfare program but corporate and individual greed represented by Wall Street; as Clente said 'if the financial boys had names like Rossini, Puccini, Zucchini, Salvatore (you get the point), it would be called the Maffia, but instead we call it Wall Steet. We have the widest gap in the industrialized world between the rich and the poor and you have the nerve to discuss welfare as robbing us of our freedom - what planet are you on. We once were the most prized society in the world it was egalitarian then, but today it has become an autocracy, fascism - Mussolini would be proud of us.  -- RBESRQ      1 3
Another thought provoking quote by de Tocqueville. I wonder why men/women do not think (or act)?  -- Montgomery Edgar      2
It is not Wall Street that is bringing this country to Fascism. It is the Democrat party with Obama at the head that is accelerating it to fruition.  -- warren, olathe      2
RBESRQ, you nosebag. Equality of opportunity=freedom. Equality of outcome=tyranny, beehive, anthill. you drone.  -- brazofuerte, wimberley      1
and this sheep looks up and utters the well-known cry of the flock...Baaaa. Is not each of us the product of some credo ( or political or financial ) claim ? I can't Biblical chapter and verse, but "All we like sheep have gone astray, every one into his own way."  -- Bobble, No. Ferrisburgh, VT
Bobble, broad minded ! That which was rejected by Washington at first birth, of the New Creature AT LIBERTY, Now A needed lawful instrument to administer " Due Execution of Justice ". " Where is it written in the Constitution, in What Article or Section is it contained, that you may take children from their parents, and parents from their children, and compel them to fight the battles of any war in which the Folly or the Wickedness of government may engage it ? The operation of Measures thus unconstitutional and Illegal ought to be prevented. BY A RESORT TO OTHER MEASURES WHICH ARE CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL. It will be the Solem Duty of the State Governments to Protect their Own Authority over their Own Militia, and to INTERPOSE between THEIR CITIZENS and arbitrary power. THESE ARE AMONG THE OBJECT FOR WHICH THE STATE GOVERNMENTS EXIST; and Their Highest obligation Bind Them to the Preservation of Their Own Rights and the Liberties of Their People." Dec 9th 1814 Daniel Webster. one of the sharpest razors in the box. " When ever the national compact is violated, and the Citizen of This State are oppressed by cruel and Unauthorized laws, this Legislature is Bound to Interpose its Power, and Wrest from the oppressor its victim." Massachusetts General Court, Approved ! " Resolved, That the government formed by the Constitution of the United States WAS NOT the Exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself; But that, as in all others cases of compact among parties having NO common judge, EACH PARTY HAS AN EQUAL RIGHT TO JUDGE FOR ITSELF, as well of Infractions as odf the mode and Measure of Redress. Resolved, that the Principle and Construction contended for by the party which now rules in the councils of the nation, that the general government is the exclusive judge of the extent of the powers delegated to it, STOP NOTHING SHORT OF DESPOTISM, since the discretion of those that administer the government, AND NOT THE CONSTITUION, would be the Measure of their powers; That the Several Several States Which Formed that Instrument, BEING SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT, HAVE THE UNQUESTIONABLE RIGHT. TO JUDGE OF ITS INFRACTIONS; And that a positive defiance of those Sovereignties, of All unauthorized acts or Attempted to be done under color of that instrument, is the Rightful Remedy." Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1859 Statement. Now on to the Sharpest Razor in the box ! foreseeing the decent, of individual rights by a body politic of democ. " When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume , among the powers of the earth, the Separate and Equal Station to which THE LAWS OF NATURAL AND OF NATURES GOD ENTITLE THEM, a Decent Respect to the opinions of mankind Requires that they should Declare the Causes which Impel them to the Separation. We holds These Truths to be Self Evident; that All Men are Created Equal; that they are Endowed by their Creator with Certain Inalienable Rights; that Among These are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED; THAT WHENEVER ANY FORM OF government BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH IT, And to INSTITUTE A NEW GOVERNMENT. " The Declaration of Independence, In Congress, July 4th, 1776 Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States of America. A Founding Father. Most WISE ! Time and Judgment always considered !! for DUE EXECUTION OF JUSTICE. Now is the Time, Today is the Day. The Day of the Lord is at Hand. ever ready to execute. !  -- Ronw13, Logsden
Befitting for The Day, 2 18, 2016 " Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies; Thy Right Hand shall find out those that hate thee. " Psalm 21:8 as also 21:6  -- Ronw13, Logsden
In adding, " It is the Right of Every Sovereign Individual, Well Informed, to Nullify, for sake of Conscience, Unconstitutional laws passed, by any and all courts within the nation at whole, or states individual, which DO NOT abide by the form of government set forth by our Declaration and Constitutional intent of protection of our Individual rights. COS is needed now more than ever, prior to A Call to Arms. An Equal Reaction to Tyranny. Not only Constructive fraud is committed, but also the charge of Premeditated Murder of Individual Sovereignty ! Liberty or Death. SEMPER FI  -- Ronw13, Logsden
EVERY STATE, shall have this Type of, REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT, IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION. of individual responsibility. .  -- Ronw13, Logsden
This " New Creature " is neither male nor female, bond nor free, Jew nor Greek, But, A Servant of the Most High God. how much more of a warning, of the wrath to come is needed ? Clouds ? " And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, Behold, two men stood by them in White Apparel; Which Also Said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in Like Manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. THE ACTS, of the Apostles 1:10,11  -- Ronw13, Logsden

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