“Most of the poverty and misery in the world is due to bad government, lack of democracy, weak states, internal strife, and so on.”

Well, you know, I was a human being before I became a businessman.

The sovereignty of states must be subordinated to international law and international institutions.

Find the trend whose premise is false, and bet against it.

My main concern is with the world order.

If the bubbles contain a misconception, as they always do, then it can’t be maintained forever.

I chose America as my home because I value freedom and democracy, civil liberties and an open society.

When money is free, the rational lender will keep on lending until there is no one else to lend to.

To others, being wrong is a source of shame; to me, recognizing my mistakes is a source of pride.

In politics, manipulating reality can take presidence over finding reality.

Discount the obvious, bet on the unexpected.

There is very little difference between speculation and investment. The only difference is basically that investments are successful speculations because if you successfully anticipate the future you make a speculative profit.

Once a trend is established it tends to persist and to run it’s full course.

My sense of insecurity keeps me alert, always ready to correct my errors.

Misconceptions play a prominent role in my view of the world.

I’m not better than the next trader, just quicker at admitting my mistakes and moving on to the next opportunity.

Studying economics is not a good preparation for dealing with it.

Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.

Unless your government is respectable, foreigners will invade your rights; and to maintain tranquillity, it must be respectable – even to observe neutrality, you must have a strong government.

In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.

What is the government? Nothing, unless supported by opinion.

If there were a nation of Gods, it would govern itself democratically. A government so perfect is not suited to men.

A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of Government.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

The government is frequently and aptly classed under two descriptions – a government of force, and a government of laws; the first is the definition of despotism- the last, of liberty.