Edmund Burke Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"The true danger is when liberty
is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts."

by:	Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Irish-born British statesman, parliamentary orator, and political thinker
Source:	April 3, 1777, letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol
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Categories:	Freedom, Liberty, Politics, Security, Terrorism, Usurpation
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Reader comments about this quote:

Compare this with the drivel spouted by John Ashcroft. -- Roger, Melbourne
Compelled compliance, license, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity, funny money, man making law instead of passing regulation and statute in harmony with the law of nature and Nature's God, and nationalizing a major part of the transportation industry all comes to mind. -- Mike, Norwalk
I believe the last democrat president to fight against the nibbling away of liberty was Grover Cleveland. Pitiful. -- Justin, Elkland
"I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood." - Grover Cleveland -- Justin, Elkland 1
Roger, if you cite Ashcroft you should cite the ACLU as well. For they are equal and opposite enemies of Liberty. -- Justin, Elkland
If our government followed the Constitution there would be no Department of Education, no Agriculture department, no OSHA, no EPA, no HUD,no Department of Energy, no foreign aid, no IRS, no income tax, and a few dozen more unconstitutional items of theft from taxpayers, and no national debt. -- jim k, Austin,Tx 1
bump and dittos to Justin,Elkland. All I can say is the 2nd amendment was put there for a reason....and it was not deer hunting. -- R.Sherron, Raleigh NC
And my god are they taking chunks - what rapacious gluttons. Mike, why don't you just write ditto - there you go again with your compelled compliance, license, and victimless crimes - is this like a secret code? Our Liberty is being nibbled away starting with the end of WW1 and continues with the Patriot Act, Homeland Security, and now, Arizona's Immigration laws, all brought about by an ever increasing and powerful elite class whose administration is oligarchy protected by its military. -- RBESRQ
Yes. But isn't this ALWAYS the way it happens? -- Laura, NYC
It has been going on for over 100 years, a little bit at a time, a nibble here a nibble there, making us feel uncomfortable, but not uncomfortable enough. It took a blatant marxist to wake us up. The American patriot in all of us that care about liberty will take back this country. Remember in November! -- Carol, Georgia 1
Robert, it is no secret code. No one seems to get to the basics why The Patriot Act, Homeland Security and the US's / Arizona's Immigration monstrosities are so grossly malformed and grotesquely wrong. When I mention compelled compliance no one equates it to the nibbling away each day of another right. By way of example: The right to life and being left alone has been done away by the mandating or the compelling of car insurance, then health insurance, then etc., etc., etc. How many people do you know fully comprehend what governmental licensing means? Every day the statist theocracy declares something else illegal with out its privilege - nibbling, ever nibbling. If I keep saying it, maybe somebody will get it. -- Mike, Norwalk
The nibbling is of the hearts and minds of the People -- when they have forgotten what real freedom of choice is, when they have been conditioned to be obedient drones, when they have been conned out of their life's labors and properties, then Liberty will truly be lost. Luckily there will always be a few 'radicals' to keep the vigil going. -- E Archer, NYC

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