#government

We believe that only government has the capacity--not to mention the political and moral responsibility--to promote the general welfare. Father Kramer as quoted in Sweet Charity? ↗

— Janet Poppendieck

#general-welfare #government-programs #moral-responsibility #public-service #food

To be GOVERNED is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so. To be GOVERNED is to be at every operation, at every transaction noted, registered, counted, taxed, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, authorized, admonished, prevented, forbidden, reformed, corrected, punished. It is, under pretext of public utility, and in the name of the general interest, to be place under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, squeezed, hoaxed, robbed; then, at the slightest resistance, the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, harassed, hunted down, abused, clubbed, disarmed, bound, choked, imprisoned, judged, condemned, shot, deported, sacrificed, sold, betrayed; and to crown all, mocked, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. That is government; that is its justice; that is its morality." General Idea of the Revolution in the Nineteenth Century, translated by John Beverly Robinson (London: Freedom Press, 1923), pp. 293-294. ↗

— Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

#government #freedom

You have the army of mediocrities followed by the multitude of fools. As the mediocrities and the fools always form the immense majority, it is impossible for them to elect an intelligent government. ↗

— Guy de Maupassant

#elections #fools #government #intelligence #masses

The world is ruled by cowards and cravens; brave men have put them there. ↗

— Damon Meredith

#coward #cowardice #government #leaders #leadership

I think we are realising that governments can't govern us any more. ↗

— Antonio Banderas

#govern #governments #i #i think #more

In South Africa, we could not have achieved our freedom and just peace without the help of people around the world, who through the use of non-violent means, such as boycotts and divestment, encouraged their governments and other corporate actors to reverse decades-long support for the Apartheid regime. ↗

— Desmond Tutu

#africa #apartheid #around #corporate #could

The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities. ↗

— Adam Smith

#taxes #wealth #nature

If the economy is strained, then Social Security, like the rest of the government, will be, too. ↗

— Mark Dayton

#government #like #rest #security #social

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny; and it is believed that the most effectual means of preventing this would be, to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large... ↗

— Thomas Jefferson

#government #jefferson #education

I have never forgotten my days as an Eagle Scout. I didn't know it at the time, but what really came out of my Scouting was learning how to lead and serve the community. It has come in handy in my career in government. ↗

— Lloyd Bentsen

#career #come #community #days #eagle