Every class is unfit to govern.
LORD ACTONAt all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities, that have prevailed by associating themselves with auxiliaries whose objects often differed from their own; and this association, which is always dangerous, has sometimes been disastrous.
More Lord Acton Quotes
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Judge talent at its best and character at its worst.
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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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If some great catastrophe is not announced every morning, we feel a certain void. Nothing in the paper today, we sigh.
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The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. ~ Every class is unfit to govern … Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.
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Political differences essentially depend on disagreement in moral principles.
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It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority. For there is a reserve of latent power in the masses which, if it is called into play.
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Live both in the future and the past. Who does not live in the past does not live in the future.
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Federalism is the best curb on democracy. [It] assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority.
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When you perceive a truth, look for the balancing truth.
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Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.
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To develop and perfect and arm conscience is the great achievement of history.
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The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority.
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Official truth is not actual truth.
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Moral precepts are constant through the ages and not obedient to circumstances.
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History provides neither compensation for suffering nor penalties for wrong.
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