A society that robs an individual of the product of his effort … is not strictly speaking a society, but a mob held together by institutionalized gang rule. — Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness

Compromise, hell! … If freedom is right and tyranny is wrong, why should those who believe in freedom treat it as if it were a roll of bologna to be bartered a slice at a time? — Jesse Helms, 1959 editorial

Credit expansion cannot increase the supply of real goods. It merely brings about a rearrangement. It diverts capital investment away from the course prescribed by the state of economic wealth and market conditions. It causes production to pursue paths which it would not follow unless the economy were to acquire an increase in material goods. As a result, the upswing lacks a solid base. It is not real prosperity. It is illusory prosperity. It did not develop from an increase in economic wealth. Rather, it arose because the credit expansion created the illusion of such an increase. Sooner or later it must become apparent that this economic situation is built on sand. — Ludwig von Mises, The Causes Of The Economic Crisis: An Address, 1933

Do you think competition leads to productivity? Well, I think it did during the industrial revolution but it won’t do for the future. Competition also leads to war. Cooperation will be the motivating factor in a free society. I think cooperation is more akin to the human spirit. Competition is grafted on by institutions, by a capitalist society, by religion, by schools. Every institution I can think of in this country promotes competition. — Abbie Hoffman, Revolution for the Hell of It

Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody. — Franklin Adams

Government interference always means either violent action or the threat of such action. Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen. The essential feature of government is the enforcement of its decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning. Those who are asking for more government interference are asking ultimately for more compulsion and less freedom. — Ludwig von Mises

How does something immoral, when done privately, become moral when it is done collectively? Furthermore, does legality establish morality? Slavery was legal; apartheid is legal; Stalinist, Nazi, and Maoist purges were legal. Clearly, the fact of legality does not justify these crimes. Legality, alone, cannot be the talisman of moral people. — Walter Williams, All It Takes Is Guts

I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground: That ” all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people.” To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition. — Thomas Jefferson, Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, 1791

I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground; That “all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people.” To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specially drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible of any definition. — Thomas Jefferson

I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution. — Thomas Jefferson, 1789

I have sworn eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. — Thomas Jefferson

I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies. — Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Taylor; May 28th, 1816

If it’s true that our species is alone in the universe, then I’d have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little. — George Carlin

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! — Patrick Henry

It is strangely absurd to suppose that a million human beings collected together are not under the same moral laws which bind teach of them separately. — Thomas Jefferson

Mr. Chairman, we have in this country one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal reserve banks. The Federal Reserve Board, a Government Board, has cheated the Government of the United States and the people of the United States out of enough money to pay the national debt.

The depredations and the iniquities of the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal reserve banks acting together have cost this country enough money to pay the national debt several times over. This evil institution has impoverished and ruined the people of the United States; has bankrupted itself, and has practically bankrupted our Government. It has done this through the mal-administration of that law by which the Federal Reserve Board, and through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it — Louis T. McFadden, House pages 1295 and 1296 on June 10, 1932

My policy has been, and will continue to be, while I have the honor to remain in the administration of the government, to be upon friendly terms with, but independent of, all the nations of the earth. To share in the broils of none. To fulfill our own engagements. To supply the wants, and be carriers for them all: Being
thoroughly convinced that it is our policy and interest to do so. — George Washington, letter to Gouverneur Morris

No. You know, I know, everybody watching this show knows that four years from today, whichever of them is elected, government will be bigger, more expensive, more obtrusive, and more oppressive. If you vote Republican or Democrat, you are giving up. You’re saying ‘I’m never going to be free. America will never be a free country again. I will never get smaller government. So I’m just going to vote for the one I think will take me to hell at the slowest-possible rate. — Harry Browne, Meet the Press, 2000

Of liberty I would say that…it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add “within the limits of the law” because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual. — Thomas Jefferson

Some people say our program to reduce the federal government goes too far, that it throws the baby out with the bath water. But we have no choice — this is Rosemary’s baby we’re talking about. — Harry Browne, Liberty A to Z

The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, [and] we must be contented to secure what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward for what is yet to get. It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good. — Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Charles Clay, 1790

The jury has a right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy. — John Jay, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1794

The jury has the power to bring a verdict in the teeth of both law and fact. — Oliver Wendell Holmes, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1920

The jury has the right to determine both the law and the facts. — Samuel Chase, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1796

The National Education Association and other societies are carrying on a definite propaganda to promote the larger purposes of education endeavor. On of the aims of such propaganda is of course improvement in the prestige and material position of the teachers themselves. An occasional McAndrew case calls the attention of the public to the fact that in some schools the teacher is far from enjoying full academic freedom, while in certain communities the choice of teachers is based upon political or sectarian considerations rather than upon real ability. If such issues were made, by means of propaganda, to become a matter of public concern on a truly national scale, there would doubtless be a general tendency to improvement. — Edward Bernays, Propaganda, page 141

The worst thing that can happen to a good cause is, not to be skillfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended. — Fredrick Bastiat

Though we may sometimes be forced to choose between different evils, they remain evil. — F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom, page 166

Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. — Isaiah, King James Bible, Isaiah 1:22

To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions is a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. — Thomas Jefferson

To find out if indeed there was a need for public primary schools, the Boston School Committee appointed a subcommittee, chaired by the distinguished architect Charles Bulfinch, to conduct a survey, the first such survey ever to be conducted in America.

The survey, which was made public in November 1817, revealed that Boston, with a population of about 40,000, supported eight public schools, including the Latin School, an African School for Negro children, an a school in the Almshouse for the children of paupers. Total enrollment of the eight schools was 2,365 pupils. This was approximately 33 per cent of the school-age population. The report also revealed that there were scattered throughout the city 154 private schools for both boys and girls with a total enrollment of 3,767. There were eight “charity free schools” ith an enrollment of 365 pupils. All told, over 4,000 students between the ages of four and fourteen attended private schools of one sort or another, at a total cost to their parents of almost $50,000. The survey reported that there were 283 children aged seven and under who attended no schools. Thus, an astonishing 96 percent of the town’s children were attending school, and the 4 percent who did not, had charity schools to attend if their parents wanted them to. — Samual L. Blumenfeld, Is Public Education Necessary?, page 42

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. — Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, No. 1, December 19, 1776

We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable: that all men are created equal and independent; that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. — Thomas Jefferson, early draft of Declaration of Independence

When I say, Property is theft! I do not propose a principle; I do nothing but express one conclusion. Liberty then, nothing more, nothing less. Laissez faire, laissez passer, in the broadest and most literal sense; consequently property, as it rises legitimately from this freedom, is my principle. — Pierre-Joseph Proudhon