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Liberty has not only enemies which it conquers, but perfidious friends, who rob the fruits of its victories: Absolute democracy, socialism.

Lord Acton

Monarchy hardens into despotism. Aristocracy contracts into oligarchy. Democracy expands into the supremacy of numbers.
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Aristocracy Contract Democracy Fanaticism Number Religious
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
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End Higher Liberty Mean Political
Every class is unfit to govern.
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Class Unfit
Far from being the product of a democratic revolution and of an opposition to English institutions, the constitution of the United States was the result of a powerful reaction against democracy, and in favor of the traditions of the mother country.
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Constitution Country Institution Mother Powerful Product Result Revolution State
I’m not a driven businessman, but a driven artist. I never think about money. Beautiful things make money.
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Beautiful Business Funny Inspirational Money
A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.
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Both Different Fool Last Once Person Same Time Wise
The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks.
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Bank Century Down Issue People Sooner Swept
There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.
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Habit Mind More Perilous Sanctifying Succes
We are not sure we are right until we have made the best case possible for those who are wrong.
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Case Made Possible Sure Thing Wrong
The principle of the Inquisition was murderous. . . . The popes were not only murderers in the great style, but they also made murder a legal basis of the Christian Church and a condition of salvation.
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Christian Murderous Principle Religion Style
Men cannot be made good by the state, but they can easily be made bad. Morality depends on liberty.
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Bad Easily Good Made Men State
Liberty, next to religion has been the motive of good deeds and the common pretext of crime.
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Common Crime Deed Good Liberty Motive Next
Great men are almost always bad men.
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Corrupt Great Men Power
Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together.
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Emna Excellent Good Government Higher Mean Political Reason Together
When the revolutionary theory of government began to prevail, and Church and State found that they were educating for opposite ends and in a contradictory spirit, it became necessary to remove children entirely from the influence of religion.
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Children Church Educate Entire Necessary Opposite Religion Remove State
In every age its progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man’s craving for power, and the poor man’s craving for food.
LORD ACTON

Age Best Conquest Crave Enemies Every Food Ignorance Man Poor Progress

Liberty has not only enemies which it conquers, but perfidious friends, who rob the fruits of its victories: Absolute democracy, socialism.

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Liberty has not only enemies which it conquers, but perfidious friends, who rob the fruits of its victories: Absolute democracy, socialism.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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