On Government and Politics
Government was intended to suppress injustice, but its effect has been to embody and
perpetuate it.
—William Godwin, 1793
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its
limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
—Ronald Reagan, 1980
1
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem and very often
makes the problem worse.
—Milton Friedman, 1975
If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense
of taking care of them, they must become happy.
—Thomas Jefferson, 1802
The freest form of government is only the least objectionable form.
—Herbert Spencer, 1851
Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule
themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others.
—Edward Abbey, 1990
The worst thing in the world next to anarchy, is government.
—Henry Ward Beecher, 1867
***
1
I wish I knew the name of his speechwriter.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Likharev (ed.), Essential Quotes for Scientists and Engineers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63332-5_18
163
Government was intended to suppress injustice, but its effect has been to embody and
perpetuate it.
—William Godwin, 1793
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its
limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
—Ronald Reagan, 1980
1
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem and very often
makes the problem worse.
—Milton Friedman, 1975
If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense
of taking care of them, they must become happy.
—Thomas Jefferson, 1802
The freest form of government is only the least objectionable form.
—Herbert Spencer, 1851
Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule
themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others.
—Edward Abbey, 1990
The worst thing in the world next to anarchy, is government.
—Henry Ward Beecher, 1867
***
1
I wish I knew the name of his speechwriter.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Likharev (ed.), Essential Quotes for Scientists and Engineers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63332-5_18
163